Thanks to some rains this month, the number of heat stroke patients in Yangon has slightly decreased compared to April, according to social welfare associations.
With rising temperatures in April, many heat stroke patients, some fainting on the streets, were hospitalized, but due to a few cloudy and rainy days in May, the number declined, said an official from Lin Latt Social Welfare Association.
“Heat stroke was worse in April. Some even collapsed on the streets. As there were some rains this month, we were a bit relieved. Heat stroke patients’ number dropped a little. There are still some heat stroke patients,” he said.
Elderly people and those with underlying diabetes or hypertension suffered more severely in case of heat stroke, while children between one to three years old got fever.
“More adults suffered heat stroke and children got fever. There were more adult patients with diabetes or hypertension. The middle-aged people can withstand. Children between one to three years old got high fever like seasonal flu. We are not sure if this is heat stroke. In adults, it is definitely heat stroke,” he said.
Heat stroke symptoms include unconsciousness, inability to control urination/defecation, high/low blood sugar levels, excessive sweating, lack of sweating, high fever, confused speech, ischemic attack, immobility of limbs and other severe symptoms that can even lead to death.
“Some recovered patients didn’t go to clinics. Some did go. Some serious patients died. Some tried very hard to sit down, saying nothing had happened to them. But, when we checked their blood pressure and fever, we knew it was heat stroke. Some didn’t want to the clinic. An old man had a transient ischemic attack a few days ago. And a fat old woman suffered the same thing at about 7pm because her room was very hot with poor ventilation. Some got a stroke after taking a bath while being very hot. They were found lying down in the bathroom,” he explained.
MT/ZN
