Citizens asked to adopt preventive measures against heat stroke.

ISLAMABAD: Health experts on Sunday advised the citizens, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to adopt necessary measures to prevent heat and sun stroke in prevailing hot weather in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

According to them, public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities specially during coming Eid days as Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast dry and hot weather in most parts of the country.

Spokesman of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Wasim Khawaja said children, elderly, sick including those with heart disease or high blood pressure and obese persons, who are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, should pay special attention.

He advised citizens to limit their outdoor activities and adopt the preventive measures when going outdoors under very hot weather.

He said citizens should wear loose light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation.

He said citizens shouldn't engage in prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion place additional demands on one's physique while they should choose to perform outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon.

Dr Khawaja said citizens should reschedule their work to cooler times of the day. If working in a very hot environment is inevitable, introduce shading in the workplace where practicable and get into a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate, he added.

He said citizens should ensure adequate ventilation when exercising indoors and any person feeling unwell should stop exercising immediately and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

He said heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature while the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down.

He said body...