Bergamo. The hot temperatures that are characterizing these days have repercussions on health and is booming of requests to basic doctors. In the last few days, even in Bergamo, many patients have turned to their doctor for problems deriving from the hot climate.
Excessive heat can have several repercussions, which range from mild disorders to more serious problems. The symptoms that are complained most include tiredness, weakness, cramps, swelling, headache, dizziness and confusion. In more serious cases, the heat can lead to dehydration, drop in blood pressure and heat strokes. To find out more, we interviewed Dr. Ivan CarraraSecretary General of the Italian Federation of Family Doctors (Fimmg) – Bergamo.
In these days, due to the great heat, have requests to basic doctors increase?
Yes, in these days in the clinics of general practitioners doctors are being seen several patients with requests deriving from the great heat. Among them are people who work outdoors, for example on construction sites, even if young. Above all, they complain of heat, pressure, headache and in some cases fever. The elderly, especially those who follow complex therapies or take certain types of drugs such as diuretics, on the other hand, show symptoms deriving from low pressure and dehydration and need particular attention.
Could you provide some advice on how to behave?
To deal with the great heat, the classic recommendations that are expressed every year in the summer period are valid, that is, to hydrate correctly, avoid exposure to the sun in the hottest hours and try not to make physical efforts. Those who have to stay outside for work is exposed in an important way to the sun and in this case the advice is to hydrate a lot, even if many times it is not enough.
What exactly does it mean by “hydrating correctly”?
For those who are not following particular therapies and are not exposed to the sun, the advice is generally to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. In elderly patients the situation changes according to the presence of pathologies such as kidney failure and heart problems or is taking certain drugs.
How much water advises to drink to the elderly?
The indication is to drink at least one liter of water per day. Among other things, when they are weak or have low pressure they tend to drink less but also to eat less and more generally to introduce less liquids.
Explain to us
In winter they eat more soups and vegetables, then they introduce a share of higher liquids, while in summer they tend to drink less, to feed little and sometimes even skip meals. Returning to younger patients, however, for those who work outside there are no limits to the recommended hydration, because with sweating you have to reintegrate the liquids lost and sometimes it can be useful to take saline supplements.
Resort to mineral salts supplements do you need?
Integrating mineral salts makes sense for those with abundant sweating. Suddenly, in fact, it loses minerals and in these cases it can be useful to resort to supplements. The same goes for patients who tend to have low pressure. If a person has no particular problems, however, it is sufficient that it is hydrated. In addition, it is recommended to consume fruit and vegetables, which contain the mineral salts we need.
To conclude, do the same recommendations apply to children?
It is also essential for them to maintain abundant hydration, because they are subject to transpiration (sweating in children, editor’s note). The recommendation is to propose to the little ones to drink, considering that if maybe they play away from home they tend to hydrate less. Similarly, it is useful to invite them to eat fruit and vegetables, in order to avoid deficiencies or problems in taking mineral salts.
© RESERVED REPRODUCTION
