Iloilo City logged eight cases of heat stroke, an illness attributed to the intense heat, from April 16 to 21 this year.
The cases, recorded by the Emergency Medical Services of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, include three deaths.
Four cases were registered on April 16 when the heat index in the city peaked at 47 degrees Celsius (°C).
Two cases were logged on April 19 when the heat index reached 44°C and one case each on April 20 and April 21 when the heat index hit 39°C and 40°C, respectively.
According to the City Health Office (CHO), six of the cases were brought to the hospitals.
“The youngest case is a 10-year-old, two cases are in the 18 to 28 age group, three cases are aged 29 and above, and two stroke cases involve senior citizens,” the CHO noted.
CHO Health Emergency Management Coordinator Darianne Joy Papa reminded the public to take all precautions against heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.
Heat stroke is defined by the Mayo Clinic and the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the result of the body overheating because of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures.
Its symptoms include headache, dizziness, skin that is hot to touch, and severe dehydration, which actually manifests as being unable to sweat.
If untreated, heat stroke can damage the brain, muscles, the heart, and kidneys. Further delayed treatment increases the risk of death.IMT
