A surge in heat-related illnesses ahead of Grand Kadooment on Monday has prompted a warning from the head of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), Dr Lynda Williams, as high temperatures and dry conditions heighten risks for revellers and vulnerable people.
She has also asked people to look out for elderly relatives and friends at home, who are also at risk from the extreme heat even while inside the house.
Her warning comes as doctors report an increase in patients suffering from heat-related illnesses, against the backdrop of regional forecasts that excessive heat will remain a significant hazard throughout this year’s Atlantic hurricane season. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has cautioned that, despite expectations of a less active hurricane season, countries must prepare for the combined impacts of dangerous heat and dry conditions.
Dr Williams told Barbados TODAY that climate change is making Crop Over increasingly challenging for revellers.
“It seems that every year they are warning that climate change has resulted in hotter temperatures. We see more persons presenting with heat stroke,” she said, explaining that heat-related illnesses occur when the body is unable to cool itself adequately.
Symptoms can range from dizziness and shortness of breath to loss of consciousness, she warned, stressing that prevention is the best defence.
“You have to hydrate prior and always have water with you,” Dr Williams advised. “You want to cool yourself physically as well, whether it’s with water, a cooling towel around your neck or a personal fan.”
The general practitioner also warned that alcohol significantly increases the risk of dehydration, particularly during long hours outdoors.
“If you drink, don’t drink in excess. By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Don’t drink only when you are feeling thirsty…drink as often as you can and continuously.”
Dr Williams urged people living with diabetes and hypertension not to abandon their normal eating habits during the festivities:
“We have a lot of people who eat only what they can find…and then you end up with problems because their sugar is either uncontrolled or their blood pressure is quite uncontrolled.”
Heavily salted festival foods can worsen dehydration and increase the risk of heat-related complications, she added.
The effects of the extreme temperatures are not limited to festival-goers, she said, noting that doctors are also seeing a growing number of elderly patients becoming ill at home.
“We are seeing more people with heat-related conditions. The elderly at home often do not drink water… they can get episodes of dizziness.”
Recalling one recent case, she said an elderly woman collapsed at home from dehydration.
“The elderly who are at home with no one to look in on them and to make sure that they’re cooling, eating and drinking sufficiently often get problems with kidney functions,” said Dr Williams, encouraging relatives and neighbours to regularly check on older family members during periods of intense heat.
(SB)
