Docs sound alarm as heat exhaustion lays kids low

Bhubaneswar: With temperatures soaring, many children are complaining of headaches, fatigue and suffering from viral fever, nausea and dehydration. Doctors have advised parents to limit children’s exposure to the sun as they are receiving complaints of stomach infections and heat exhaustion.
“We have been receiving many cases of heat exhaustion among children. Most children are coming with complaints of headaches, lack of appetite, fever and gastronomical disorders. Some of them are also complaining of skin rashes and blisters. Exposure to heat and lack of fluid content in body can be fatal among children,” said Dr Subranshu Mahapatra, a senior paediatrician.
The doctor said heat combined with high level of humidity can become dangerous. “Children lose a lot of water and salts from body in the form of sweat. The may suffer from dehydration if there is a drop in water intake. So, it is very important to replenish their water intake by giving them lemon water, serbets, rice water, curd, fruits like watermelon, cucumber, and ORS mix,” Mahapatra added.
Doctors said it is good that the government has announced closure of schools in the state, but parents also have to take care of the children indoors. Air-conditioner, cold water from refrigerator, cold drinks, golas, chuski and junk/street food may cause serious health problems among children as well as adults, they warned.
Food poisoning is one of the most common diseases that affects children during summer due to intake of contaminated food and water. The warm and humid weather leads to the growth of bacteria which can contaminate food. Children may get symptoms include stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting. “It is always avoidable to eat roadside food or uncooked food,” said Dr Asit Mohapatra, another paediatrician.
In summer, children face skin problems like rashes, blisters, infections and allergies. Parents can apply cold compress in the affected areas to manage skin irritation among children, he said.