Heatwave warnings in India are not uncommon and they are not brief spells that peak in May or June. They are arriving earlier and also stretching longer. And this year, like past few years, these warnings have arrived in April. Doctors say what’s different isn’t just how high the temperature is climbing, but how quickly it is rising and how long it is staying. The impact is already visible in OPDs. “People are coming in with headaches, nausea, muscle cramps,” says Dr Sushila Kataria, Vice Chairperson, Internal Medicine, Medanta Medcity. For many, these are early signs of heat stress. But for those with heart conditions, this can get more worrying and it's important for them to maintain the balance.
She explains that heart patients are constantly managing a delicate fluid intake. “Even a little extra water can cause breathlessness. And even a little less can lead to dehydration and a fall in blood pressure.” What makes summer particularly tricky is something most people don’t fully account for, which is the fluid loss that you can’t see. When temperatures rise, the body loses water through the skin and even through breathing. And there’s no clear way to measure this loss, unlike urine output or illness-related fluid loss like loose motions. Which means people often underestimate how much they are losing and by the time symptoms show up, the imbalance exists.
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Dr Kataria also warns that this is not the season to self-adjust medication or rely on guesswork. She advises that patients with heart conditions should check in with their physician or cardiologist at the start of summer. "Medications, especially diuretics, may need to be tweaked. In some cases, the dose may need to be reduced and in others, fluid intake may need to be a little more liberal. These are small adjustments, but they make a significant difference to how the body copes with heat."
She also recommends some simple habits that can act as early warning systems. "Weighing yourself every day is one of them. A sudden drop in weight could point to dehydration, while a quick gain of around a kilo in a day could indicate fluid retention. It’s a basic check but a useful one, especially when the body’s signals can be subtle."
Precautions to take during heatwave
Coping with a heatwave becomes about planning in ways we tend to overlook. "Plan your day so you are not stepping out in the harshest hours unless absolutely necessary. Plan your clothes with the same intent. Light-coloured, loose, breathable fabrics like cotton works best in this kind of weather. What feels manageable in an air-conditioned space doesn’t always hold up outdoors. Carrying an umbrella, keeping a water bottle handy, slowing your pace when you are out. These are small buffers against a season that’s becoming less forgiving."
In this kind of heat, it’s will not always be dramatic warning that signal trouble. More often than not, it’s a quiet imbalance building up that may turn dangerous and that’s exactly what makes it important to stay a step ahead.
Kalpana Sharma is currently the Lifestyle and Education Editor at Times Now and Editor of Health and Me (Times Networks' health website). With a stron...View More
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