Sunstroke can be fatal: Dr Samaram

Vijayawada: People would be affected by sunstroke if proper care is not taken during summer, said Dr G Samaram, noted physician and former national president of Indian Medical Association, here on Saturday while addressing on “Taking care of health during summer” as part of the health education programme at Vasavya Nursing home with Dr Maru in the chair. 

Dr Samaram said that children, the aged, diabetics, hypertension patients, people with thyroid problem would be easily affected by sunstroke. 
“Sunstroke may be affected even people did not venture out. People sitting in poorly ventilated rooms, tin-roof houses, and concrete buildings may be affected by sunstroke,” he said and stated if people wear tight dress also may be affected.

The physician said that symptoms like headache, nausea, vomits, reeling sensation and pain legs could not be considered as sunstroke. Medically speaking, sudden fever crossing 106 degrees Fahrenheit, total lack of sweating, and falling unconscious could be stated as sunstroke, he said. 

According to him, it is not sunstroke if the person is sweating, remain conscious with light fever. “If a person is exposed to severe heat, he loses salt and water through sweat resulting in severe headache, nausea and pain in the legs,” Dr Samaram said.

The heat regulator centre in the brain produces more sweat to prevent the heat from entering our body, he said, and added that sweat glands exhaust after some time which may result in sunstroke. Sunstroke should be diagnosed at an early stage and the affected person should be kept in cool place and his body should be wiped with a cold towel, he said.

People should wear cotton dress during summer and while going out they wear a cap or carry an umbrella, he said and also suggested that they should drink more water, buttermilk or limewater with some salt to replenish the loss of salt and water in the body. Labourers and farmers should complete their work early in the day to avoid sunstroke, he said and added that it would be better to undertake journeys during night.

It would be better to use sunscreen lotion to prevent sunburns, he said. Dr Samaram further said that it was not true that people would get boils if they eat lots of mangoes in summer. “It is also not true people would be affected by sunstroke if they consumer cold water and cold drinks,” he explained. He rubbished the myth that consumption of beer would prevent sunstroke.