Kolkata is experiencing a sudden surge in humidity due to moisture inflow from the Bay of Bengal, leading to widespread discomfort and health issues. Residents are grappling with excessive sweating, breathlessness, and symptoms of heat exhaustion such as dizziness, nausea, sleep disturbances, and loss of appetite. The Met office attributes these conditions to intermittent rain since last Thursday combined with cloud cover that traps moisture, creating a stifling environment.
Hospitals Report Spike in Heat-Related Illnesses
Several hospitals across the city have noted a rise in patients suffering from heat-induced ailments since Thursday. Doctors warn that feeling drowsy at work or outdoors may indicate severe dehydration, which can escalate to heatstroke. The current moist heat primarily causes heat exhaustion, with many individuals collapsing due to sudden weakness.
Drowsiness: A Key Symptom Often Ignored
Physicians emphasize that drowsiness is a critical symptom of heatstroke or heat exhaustion that is frequently overlooked. However, they clarify that drowsiness may not be heat-related unless the person has been exposed to the sun or is dehydrated. Dr. Sauren Panja, an intensivist at RN Tagore Hospital, explains, "Heatstroke has a paralyzing effect on the brain, leading to confusion, loss of mobility, and sleepiness. This can occur indoors after sun exposure during commutes, often remaining undetected. Symptoms typically start with sleepiness, progressing to dizziness, nausea, confusion, and gradual blackout."
Sweating and Dizziness: Common Complaints
Dr. Sayan Chakrabarty, an infectious diseases physician at Manipal Hospital, notes that sweating is more likely to cause dizziness and exhaustion than heatstroke. "Fluid loss occurs rapidly under the sun, even with cloud cover. The combination of high temperature and humidity is lethal. We have treated numerous cases of fatigue and exhaustion from dehydration, though not heatstroke," he says.
Hospital Data Highlights Severity
Charnock Hospital reports receiving 10-12 patients daily at its OPD with dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion. Most cases stem from prolonged heat exposure. Dr. Nishant Agarwal, head of emergency at Charnock, shares, "We advise tests to rule out other causes, but the majority suffer from heat exhaustion due to severe dehydration. On Sunday, we treated a student who collapsed during PT in school; he was dehydrated and had skipped breakfast."
BP Poddar Hospital has seen 25 patients with heat exhaustion symptoms over the past week, including excessive sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, muscle cramps, nausea, and profound fatigue. None required admission, but two individuals in their 50s with severe heat-related illness were stabilized and discharged. Dr. Abhijit Aich Bhaumik, senior consultant physician, warns that persistently high temperatures and rising humidity increase vulnerability to dehydration and heat emergencies.
Dehydration-Induced Drowsiness at Home
Physicians caution that dehydration-induced drowsiness can also occur at home. Dr. Chakrabarty explains, "Heat exhaustion is triggered by sweating, and moist heat like the current spell is more likely to cause exhaustion." Heatstroke, on the other hand, typically results from prolonged sun exposure. When the body cannot dissipate heat, the hypothalamus—the brain's temperature control center—malfunctions and eventually fails.
