Kolkata: With day temperatures set to cross 33°C in Kolkata, doctors have sounded an “afternoon heat alert” for the elderly and children. While Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 32.8°C on Sunday, the minimum was 23.1°C. The maximum is set to climb to 33°C on Monday and could hover around 33°C-34°C over the next four-five days, said weathermen.
The afternoons have started getting warm since the intensity of sunrays is now on the ascent, said weathermen. A bulletin from Regional Meteorological Centre, Alipore, on Sunday said the maximum temperature “rose markedly at one or two places and was appreciably above normal at many places over Gangetic Bengal”. Jhargram recorded 39°C on Sunday, the highest maximum in the state.
While fever, dizziness, nausea, sweating, vomiting, fatigue, and fainting are most common during sizzling summer periods, breathing distress, too, could be triggered by prolonged exposure to heat, warned physicians. Since sweating and exhaustion increase manifold in summer, people are likely to get thirsty more often due to increased blood viscosity, said CMRI Hospital pulmonology director Raja Dhar. “This could make one feel breathless. Also, lung patients are likely to get exhausted quickly while walking in the sun, and dehydration could strike them early,” he added.
But early summer brings dry heat that could trigger fluid loss without one realising it. It is important to keep drinking water even when not feeling thirsty, said Manipal Hospital infectious diseases physician Sayan Chakrabarty. “Drinking ORS or just water at regular intervals keeps one hydrated. Dehydration may cause uneasiness and breathlessness, which is common among a section of patients, especially the elderly. Some have also been complaining of claustrophobia along with breathlessness,” said Chakrabarty.
Over the last 10 days at Charnock Hospital, more than 50 patients have sought treatment, with symptoms including diarrhoea, breathlessness, chest discomfort, and drowsiness. “We have received several diarrhoea patients and those with lung infections triggered by the temperature change. Most diarrhoea patients were dehydrated and were treated at the OPD. But around 40% of these patients had more severe symptoms and were admitted. A majority of these are at the extremes of age — children and the elderly. This category of patients needs to be observed and treated till severe symptoms recede,” said Charnock Hospital emergency head Nishant Agarwal.Chakrabarty added that those with a history of lung diseases should guard against exposure to the sun.
Two were admitted to BP Poddar Hospital on Saturday with symptoms of “heat exposure”. “One of them, a heart patient who underwent angioplasty, felt unwell after stepping out in the heat. Initially stabilised and sent home, his condition worsened, leading to readmission,” said Supriyo Chakrabarty, group advisor of BP Poddar.
Cases of stomach infection, dizziness, and respiratory distress have been reported at Techno India DAMA Hospital. “In the past 10 days, at least four to eight patients with issues like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and hypertension, have been taken under critical care due to deteriorating health,” said M S Purkait, medical superintendent of Techno India DAMA.
