Don’t dehydrate, doctor warns

Dubai: With temperatures soaring in the high 40s, doctors are treating a number of people who work outdoors for dehydration.

Though the UAE rules ban construction work outside during the hottest times of the day, “we see quite a lot of people suffering from mild dehydration” said Dr Babu Shersad, internal medicine specialist at First Medical Centre in Dubai.

He said people have to take precautions as temperatures this Ramadan are high and there will be a number of heat-related cases.

Workers such as petrol station attendants, garage mechanics and chefs working at ovens or grills will suffer huge water loss and will not be able to replenish the fluids till late in the evening when they end their fast.

The specialist said the symptoms of mild dehydration include dizziness but it could progress to nausea, vomiting and extreme fatigue for extreme dehydration. “If you are suffering from mild dehydration that means you have already lost a good amount of water from the body. Don’t let it come to this stage,” he warned. Severe dehydration will badly affect internal organs, the doctor said.

The doctor said it was imperative to drink two litres of water every day to keep the body functioning properly, from flushing toxins out of the body to keeping your metabolism going properly.

“If you cannot drink the required amount of water at one time, spread it out,” he said. He advises those who are fasting not to eat spicy foods but to eat a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. “Water plays a key role in your body functions and no foods can replace water [to hydrate you],” he said.

Dieticians say that it is best to eat hydrating foods and slow-digesting carbohydrate foods in the early morning suhour. “Do not miss the early morning meal,” said a dietician.

The doctor said that there’s no rule of thumb that says how much water you should drink every day, but water is lost from your body from sweating, from your breath and from excretion.

“People do not realise it but you can still lose a lot of water from your body even sitting indoors in an air-conditioned room,” said the specialist.

The doctor said only those who are healthy should fast. “If you are a diabetic, have high blood pressure or suffer from heart disease, you should get your doctor’s opinion [about whether it is advisable to fast],” he said.