Doctors set out health rules to beat problems of summer heat

Doctors are advising the public to store food at low temperatures and drink plenty of water during hot weather.

Warm temperatures and high humidity levels provide an ideal environment for bacterial growth, they said.

Foodborne bacteria grow fastest at between 32°C to 43°C, so prepared food should be stored in low temperatures and consumed within one or two hours.

“Food left out of refrigeration for more than two hours may not be safe,” said Dr Yusra Abo Hamed, public health and preventative medicine specialist.

“Bacteria and viruses grow very fast in the hot weather, as their numbers double every 20 minutes, therefore, the chances of getting an infection are higher during summer,” she said.

The head of the emergency facility at Al Sharq hospital in Fujairah said that 40 per cent of summer emergency visitors were children suffering from nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea because of viral or bacterial infections.

“Taking extra precautions can limit the sources of infection, like washing hands properly, eating well-cooked food, avoiding reheated meals and storing food in low temperatures,” said Dr Pratap M B.

“We advise people to hydrate during high temperatures and avoid food that can easily spoil, such as cheese and fish,” he said.

Dr Hassan Kazia, an internal medicine specialist at Prime Hospital Dubai, said that lack of water during summer could cause kidney stones.

“It’s more common to receive patients suffering with kidney stones during summer than any other season because people forget to drink water, which leads to dehydration and then kidney problems.”