(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The risk of suffering heat-related health problems can increase with fasting in summer due to a drop in body fluids and salt levels, according to Dr. Muayad Kasim Khalid, senior consultant and head of Adult Emergency Department at Al Wakra Hospital (AWH).
Although recently there has been no increase in the number of patients, treated for heat-related illnesses at the Adult Emergency Department in AWH, people are advised not to work in direct sunlight. Individuals that are most affected are usually outdoor workers, including those fasting.
"Normally during summer, we see an increase in the number of people suffering from heat illnesses such as sun stroke and heat exhaustion. The majority of the cases occur amongst those who work outdoors due to the nature of their job," said Dr. Khalid. He added that due to stricter rules in place to prevent outdoor workers from working under the sun in peak hours, there has been no significant increase in the number of people suffering from heat-related illnesses.
"Usually, we receive up to 600 various cases of emergencies daily at AWH's Emergency Department but since Ramadan started, we have actually seen a decline in the number of cases. This is an indication that the laws and public awareness campaigns about safeguarding one's health are paying off," Dr. Khalid added.
He noted that when Ramadan falls within one of the hottest months of the year like June, prolonged exposure to sunlight and high temperature during the daytime may cause sunstroke as a result of a failure in the body's cooling system. "In a few cases, this over exposure may cause organ dysfunction or other adverse effects, such as severe headaches accompanied by dehydration."
Other symptoms can include muscle pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, skin redness, rapid breathing, a high heart rate, and difficulties in speech and understanding.
Dr. Khalid advised those that are fasting to drink sufficient amount of fluids in the evenings to enable the body to adapt to fluctuating temperatures.
"During fasting hours, your body lacks the water supply that keeps it hydrated so it is very important to drink plenty of fluids during night time," he stressed. "The body's ability to deal with excessive heat depends on the power of the central nervous system. This is lower in children and elderly people so it is important to ensure they maintain healthy hydration levels," Dr. Khalid said.
Treatment for sunstroke includes cooling down the affected person by lowering their body temperature to the normal level. Dr. Khalid pointed out that some people may suffer a headache or pain within the first days of fasting during Ramadan.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.