Nutrition · 4 min read · 2026-03-03

Water in the Gurugram summer

Thirst is late. In May the useful habit is drinking before you are desperate, and the useful warning is a person who has stopped sweating.

This page is general education for families in Gurugram. It is not a diagnosis, a medicine list, or a reason to skip a clinician. Doses are deliberately not given.

In plain language

Most adults do well drinking enough that urine stays pale. That amount rises if you work outdoors. People with heart failure or advanced kidney disease may have a fluid limit. They should not follow a ‘drink three litres’ reel. Oral rehydration is for loose motions and heavy sweat with cramps, not for every afternoon. Sugary drinks add thirst later.

Signs worth noticing

These are the clues families usually notice first. One of them, on its own, is not a diagnosis.

Dark urine and a headache after being outside.
Cramps in someone who has been sweating hard.
Dizziness on standing.
Hot, dry skin, confusion, or collapse. That is heat stroke, and it is an emergency.

What usually sits underneath

Sweat loses water and salt. Replacing only water, in extreme sweat, can rarely lower blood sodium. That is why ORS, not endless plain water, is used when someone is cramping and has been out in severe heat. Ordinary office days do not need ORS.

Care that is reasonable at home

Carry water and drink on a schedule if you are outdoors.
Wear light clothes and a hat. Avoid the early-afternoon peak if you can.
Skip the extra tea and alcohol in a heatwave. Both worsen fluid loss.
Check on older neighbours. They feel thirst less and die in heatwaves.

These steps are for someone who is otherwise stable. If the picture is changing quickly, skip the home trial and come in.

When waiting is a bad idea

Confusion, a seizure, or a body that is very hot and not sweating.
Vomiting that stops you keeping fluids down.
A baby or an older person who is floppy in the heat.

How Rao Lokram Charitable Trust fits in

If you are unsure whether your heart or kidneys allow extra fluid, ask at OPD before summer, not during a collapse. OPD runs Monday to Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Near Rockford School, Anaj Mandi Chowk, Kadipur Road, Shakti Park, Sector 10A, Gurugram, Haryana. Call 98185 48492 or 70423 28047. There is no appointment form on this website.

Questions people ask

Is eight glasses a rule?

It is a slogan. Pale urine and a sensible increase in heat are better guides, unless you are on a fluid limit.

Do I need electrolyte drinks daily?

No. Food and water cover ordinary days. Use ORS for diarrhoea or heavy exertional cramps.

Is a cold shower safe?

Lukewarm or cool is fine. An ice bath is not a home treatment for heat stroke. Cool the person and get emergency help.

If this sounds like you, bring the article on your phone if you want, but let the clinician examine you. Old reports and a list of current medicines make the visit shorter.