Hyderabad: Diarrhea and vomiting due to contaminated water on the rise

 

Hyderabad: It is summer time and government hospitals, private clinics and nursing homes in the city are reporting rise of acute diarrheal disease (ADD), vomiting and dehydration due to consumption of contaminated water and stale food.

A large number of children are reporting sick with vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration, as temperatures rise and access to treated water becomes difficult and food becomes stale because of the summer heat. To tackle diarrhea among children, which often leads to rehydration, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution).

“These days, commercially occurring ORS juices have high sugar content, which worsens diarrhea, not only among children but even among adults. Do not use such products and make sure to read the labels properly,” advises senior pediatrician, Dr Sivaranjani Santosh.

When children vomit for the first time, calm them down and take them to a cool environment, she advises adding, “Then give sips of cool recommended liquids like coconut water, ORS, water etc. alternately. Give one sip/one spoon of the liquid every five minutes and don’t rush the fluids.”

Fever Hospital, which is the regional healthcare facility for seasonal ailments, has started receiving a large number of patients with such symptoms.

“Water-borne ailments are usually associated due to lack of access to potable drinking water, the heat strokes are due to exposure to high temperatures of over 40 degree Celsius,” says Superintendent, Fever Hospital, Dr K Shankar.