Doctors Sound Alarm as Weather Changes Lead to Silent/Invisible Dehydration

Hans India

2 days ago

As Delhi & NCR experience 'feels like' temperatures exceeding 44°C with dust storms and sudden rains, and cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad face intense monsoons and rising viral infections, doctors are warning of an overlooked risk - non-diarrheal dehydration.
Across India, clinicians report a surge in patients recovering from fever or viral illness, still suffering from fatigue, cramps, low appetite, and brain fog. These are not just residual symptoms they signal fluid, electrolyte, and energy depletion that plain water may not be able to correct.
While dehydration is often linked to diarrhoea, experts are seeing it in heat exhaustion, dengue, fever, and respiratory/urinary tract infections conditions where the body loses salts and glucose along with fluids. This leads to delayed recovery, weakened immunity, and ongoing discomfort.
'Patients often believe recovery ends when fever subsides, but many return feeling drained and mentally foggy,' said Dr Abdul Majid Khan, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine.
'These are signs of hidden dehydration that water alone can't fix. In today's climate, we must treat hydration proactively, with fluids, salts, and glucose from Day One.'
Doctors are turning to Fluid, Electrolyte, and Energy (FEE) therapy ready-to-drink (RTD) solutions combining electrolytes and glucose. These have shown to support to reduce fatigue and improve hydration in non-diarrheal cases, often within hours. Starting FEE therapy early helps prevent complications and helps shortens recovery time.
In 2024, Kenvue, the world's largest consumer health company and makers of ORSL, launched 'The Hydration Gap for Non-Diarrheal Illnesses'. The report highlighted FEE's role in recovery from fever, heat illness, and viral infections. 87% of doctors agreed that oral FEE recommendation can improve the speed of recovery & that Ready to Drink (RTD) solutions can cut recovery time by up to 4.38 days,.
'Dehydration isn't just about diarrhoea—it's a condition which can occur even in fever and viral illness,' said Dr Manoj Chawla, Consultant Diabetologist. 'Even without obvious fluid loss, patients can be significantly depleted. Structured FEE therapy must be part of early treatment, not an afterthought start FEE therapy alongside other medications from Day One,'.'Water or ORS powders don't act fast enough. RTD FEE solutions are more effective, well-tolerated, and help patients bounce back quicker. They've become a standard in my treatment protocol. .'
Those most at risk include elderly individuals, children, and working adults exposed to erratic weather. Signs like dizziness, weakness, or cramps are frequently overlooked until they escalate.
While WHO ORS remains the gold standard for diarrhea-related dehydration, experts point out that it may not fully address the compliance and palatability challenges in non-diarrheal scenarios—especially among children or elderly patients. In response, the healthcare market has seen the development of standardized, palatable FEE-electrolyte solutions provide better patient outcomes.