Public warned of sunstroke as temperatures soar

AMMAN — The Health Ministry has urged the public not to walk long distances, especially when fasting, to avoid sunstroke as temperatures rise five degrees above the annual average, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

If not treated immediately, sunstroke can be fatal, warns Malek Habashneh, the head of the Health Ministry’s awareness directorate. 

The elderly, children, construction workers, soldiers and football players are most at risk of suffering from sunstroke, Habashneh said on Monday. 

Habashneh warned that physical activity in hot weather can lead to dehydration.

The symptoms of sunstroke include red, dry and hot skin, exhaustion, headache and a fast heart rate, as well as dizziness and occasional cramps, the Health Ministry’s official said.

There are clinical symptoms too, including the death of tissue cells and the failure of vital brain centres that regulate body temperature, as well as dysfunction of the nervous system, he added.

The official advised that the first step in treating a person suffering from sunstroke is to move the patient into the shade, sprinkle water on them and fan them, making sure their respiratory system is not blocked. 

Then, the patient should be taken to the nearest medical facility for treatment, he added.