Heatstroke: M'sians urged to frequently hydrate and stay indoors
SHAH ALAM - Malaysians are urged to take precautionary steps to protect their health as the whole country is currently experiencing hot weather.
Medical experts advise people to monitor their body temperature and consume plain water to avoid dehydration, multiple organ failures, and heat stroke.
This was following the recent deaths of two children due to heatstroke in Kelantan yesterday.
Public health expert Dr Hanafiah Bashirun commented that before a heatstroke, one will suffer from hyperthermia, which causes the body temperature to rise.
"When body temperature starts rising, it will cause dehydration, and to make matters worse, when this happens, it will shut down a few important organs such as the kidney, liver, and brain," he told Sinar Daily.
To avoid heatstroke, Hanafiah further added that it's crucial for people to know and recognise a few things.
"First thing, people will be thirsty, have dry skin, experience dizziness, and urine output will be lower than before. The colour of the urine will not be as clear as usual.
"These are the symptoms someone is experiencing when they are experiencing dehydration. Even when we are drinking water, we still do not excrete urine like usual, which means our body still needs liquid.
"When heatstroke happens, the kidneys, liver, and brain will be shutting down. Sweating, drowsiness, clumsiness, convulsions—it exposes patients to death," he explained.
He further added that people need to reduce their time spent on outdoor activities and stay indoors.
"I urge all of you to drink a lot of plain water—at least 2.5 litres a day—not sweet drinks, alcohol beverages, or caffeinated drinks.
"Besides, if you need to do outdoor activities, please choose your time wisely and wear light clothes. Not to forget, always cool down your body once you finish your outdoor activities," he added.
He also urged all parents to always check on their kids and babies.
"Why do kids and babies suffer? It is because they cannot describe what they are experiencing. They cannot tell their parents.
"As parents, limit time for their kids to play. When your kids' body temperature increases, go straight to the hospital and let the hospital handle it," Hanafiah urged.
Echoing Hanafiah’s views, public health expert Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia also agreed that heatstroke can lead to multiple organ failures.
"Experiences of propositional confusion, and this comes with the seizures and increase in sweating. It can be kidney failure," Sharifa explained.
She further added that the most simple prevention is that if they are supposed to rest, they should bring a lot of water and stay hydrated.
"Make sure you have some sort of screening blinds, or if you are in your car, blinds, to prevent yourself from being trapped in the heat," she added.
Sharifa also urged all employers to regulate the working hours so the employees may not be exposed to the sun for prolonged exposure to the sun's heat, which will give rise to heat stroke and also expose people to death.
