Ghaziabad, June 22 (IANS): Doctors here are worried at the rising number of diarrhoea and heat stroke cases.

Medical specialists are blaming diarrhoea mostly on people's tendency to consume outside food.

"We get four to five patients every day in our hospital alone. Patients are also being referred from other hospitals," said Deepak Verma of Columbia Asia Hospital.

The situation seems to be no different in other parts of Ghaziabad.

Heat stroke is another cause for worry, said another doctor, Mahendra Nagar of Nagar Hospital.

Heat stroke can be life threatening. It manifests with symptoms like cramps, exhaustion and lack of sweating, which might progress to dangerous levels, at times causing damage to the brain.

"Often prolonged exposure to heat can cause heat stroke," said Verma. "The body gets dehydrated and its heat controlling ability is lost due to complications involving the central nervous system."

Doctors are asking people to be extra cautious in the hot summer months and keep themselves protected and hydrated.

Heart patients and those who have hypertension, diabetes and kidney problems are more vulnerable, said Verma.

Some patients also experience nausea, seizures, throbbing headache or fainting attacks.

Said another doctor: "Avoid the sun during noon hours as it is the hottest then. If you need to do heavy exhausting work, schedule it for the cooler parts of the day."