As several parts ofIndia remain under heatwave alerts, with red, orange andyellowwarnings issued across states, doctors are warning people not to ignore even seemingly mild symptoms like headache, nausea or muscle cramps. Delhi-NCR too is expected to witness intense heat over the next few days, increasing the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Times Now spoke to Dr Sushila Kataria, Vice Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Medanta, Gurgaon, about what extreme heat does to the body, who is most vulnerable, the first warning signs people often ignore and what immediate steps can help prevent a medical emergency.
Dr Sushila Kataria:If the temperature is going high and your body needs to cool itself down. Body temperature is 37 degrees and outside is 39-40 degrees, then it has to do something to cool itself. It does so by perspiring, which means loss of water. If you are not compensating that much of water, that means dehydration. Not only water is going out but sodium is going out, potassium is going out, which leads to other problems like cramping, fatigue and constant nausea. So high temperatures mean you have to do something to cool your body down.
Dr Sushila Kataria:We see a lot of people coming with non-specific symptoms like headache, nausea after that they went out shopping. Athletes come saying they went for a late run and now feeling nausea. Working class people come to us complaining of headache, muscle cramp, just not feeling well. Sometimes emergency attendance also increases. People are brought in drowsy state, sometimes it's an extreme case of heat exposure and it becomes heat stroke.
Dr Sushila Kataria:Elderly and children are at most risk. In elderly, their heat control mechanism, thermostat mechanism is not working as good as it is in an adult group, mobility is restricted. Imagine an elderly left in open, they do not have enough strength to protect themselves. Children too because they have a disproportionate surface area so they lose more.
Even in heart patients, it is tricky as they are asked to drink less water because they are on diuretics. Labour class, sportspersons who are working out in open and even normal people like us who are going out after 10 — you do not have access to water. A lot of times we are worried if we drink more water, we will need a clean toilet to release, due to which we drink less. Alcohol and drug abuse also leads to a lot of cases. Tea, coffee also do not hydrate you, they are diuretics.
New Delhi: People quench their thirst with water on a hot summer day, in New Delhi (PTI Photo/Salman Ali)(PTI05_19_2026_000101B)
Dr Sushila Kataria:One stitch in time saves nine. First step should be prevention. Plan your day. Do not leave anybody in the parked car, nobody should stay in the car that's not running. Come out and stand beneath the tree. Plan your clothes, wear light coloured, breathable clothes. Carry an umbrella and carry water. Do not believe I can buy from outside, you should be ready. Consumption of chaach, nimbu pani, nariyal pani should increase and cut down coffee, alcohol, tea or even cold drinks.
Dr Sushila Kataria:First sign you will note is you start feeling thirsty, so respond to your thirst. Come to a shady area, splash some water on yourself, drink water. Another sign is just a headache or nausea, this is a sign of heat exhaustion, it is the first problem that occurs. Next is cramping where calf muscles start to ache, this is also a sign of heat exhaustion and means it has reached the next level.
Dr Sushila Kataria:Sometimes people fall down, make them rest, raise their legs. If somebody is drowsy and not responding, do not force water or any solid or liquid anything down their mouth. If you are not able to handle, rush to the emergency where their body temperature will be checked, BP will be checked and emergency care will be given. In heat stroke, body will not perspire, it will go numb. The first sign is usually thirst but when you ignore the initial signs, the body reaches a state where the thermostat mechanism goes haywire. It is not able to understand that temp is high, I need to perspire, and leads to very high temperature and fries your brain protein and leads to seizure, loss of consciousness, stroke.
Dr Sushila Kataria:So anybody who is drowsy, open clothes, pour water and if conscious give water or bring to hospital where rapid cooling is done at hospital to bring down the temperature. Just putting hanky on the forehead to cool down and bring temp down, use towels liberally. Use mild tepid water, lots of fan. If someone can stand under a shower, make them. If someone is unable, put lots of water across the body, and keep changing and put air flow on that. If AC is there, put them under that. Rapid cooling is advised if temp has gone high.
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