People in HCM City should also avoid staying too long in the sun fully equipped with wide-brimmed hats, face masks to prevent heatstroke. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — More elderly people and young children are seeking treatment from doctors due to hot weather, with many of them requiring hospitalisation.

The southern region, including HCM City, is going through the hottest heat wave this year due to abnormal weather patterns, with temperatures up to 38.5 degrees Celsius.

The hot weather puts everyone at risk of heat illnesses. The symptoms range from fatigue, dizziness, headache, and red face to confusion, difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, increased heart rate, and possibly coma.

The HCM City Centre for Disease Control said people are prone to problems like sunstroke, heat stroke, dyspnea, and stroke in warm weather due to long exposure to hot conditions, not resting and hydrating and sudden temperature changes.

Seniors, children, women, and people with chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer are more vulnerable.

Workers, farmers, athletes, and others spending long period outdoors are also susceptible.

At Thống Nhất Hospital in HCM City, more seniors have come in for medical examinations due to hot weather.

Dr. Trương Quang Anh Vũ, Head of Medical Examination Department at Thống Nhất Hospital, said that the number of elderly people coming for medical examination in recent days has increased to 2,500 patients per day, an increase of 20 per cent.

Hospitalised patients mainly have pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic respiratory diseases related to infections such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma.

Children’s Hospital 2 has also seen an increase in patients.

According to doctors at Children’s Hospital 2, temperature changes make children susceptible to respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal diseases due to many factors.

To protect children's health during the hot season, doctor Nguyễn Thanh Hải of Children’s Hospital 2 recommends that parents give their children plenty of water and adequate nutrition to increase resistance.

In order to prevent heatstroke, doctors recommend that people drink enough water, wear light-coloured loose clothing, and limit outdoor work from 11:00am to 2:00pm.

When going out in the sun, people should be fully equipped with wide-brimmed hats, face masks, glasses, clothing, and work hats.

People should also avoid staying too long in the sun or in a hot environment and rest in a cool place after about an hour of work. VNS