Why Paracetamol Can Be Dangerous During Heat Stroke
News Desk
Islamabad: As extreme heat continues to grip most parts of the country, hospitals are witnessing a rising number of patients suffering from heat-related illnesses, particularly heat stroke.
Health experts have warned the public against using paracetamol in such cases, saying the medicine can be ineffective and delay life-saving treatment.
Doctors explain that paracetamol is commonly used to reduce fever caused by infections or illnesses because it affects the part of the brain responsible for regulating body temperature.
However, heat stroke is not a typical fever but a dangerous condition caused by the body’s inability to cool itself under excessive external heat.
According to medical experts, when the body’s cooling system fails due to severe temperatures, paracetamol cannot solve the problem. Instead, the patient’s body temperature must be reduced externally and immediately.
Doctors say heat-related illnesses are generally divided into two stages. The first is heat exhaustion, in which a person sweats heavily, feels weak and loses salts and fluids from the body. In such cases, patients should immediately be given ORS, saline water or other fluids to restore hydration.
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The second and more dangerous condition is heat stroke. In this stage, the body stops sweating, the skin becomes dry and body temperature rises rapidly.
“During heat stroke, the brain heats up dangerously, almost like something being cooked in a microwave,” a doctor explained, warning that the condition can lead to unconsciousness or even death if treatment is delayed.
Experts noted that many people mistakenly give paracetamol after noticing a patient’s high body temperature. However, they stressed that the medicine does not work in heat stroke because the condition is caused by external heat rather than infection.
Doctors advise that anyone suffering from heat stroke should immediately be moved to a shaded or cool place. Cold water should be sprinkled on the body, while ice packs or cold cloths should be placed on the neck, armpits and thigh joints, where blood vessels help cool the body quickly.
If the patient is conscious, small amounts of water may be given, but doctors warn against putting anything in the mouth of an unconscious person. They stress that the patient should then be shifted to a hospital without delay.
Health experts have also urged the public to take preventive measures during the ongoing heatwave, including avoiding unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight, wearing light-colored cotton clothes and drinking water, lemon water or lassi regularly, even when not feeling thirsty.
Doctors emphasized that heat stroke is a medical emergency and requires immediate first aid and urgent hospital treatment.
