As intense heatwaves continue to affect the temperature across the country this summer, public health warnings have been issued. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heatwave alerts, typically focusing on dehydration, muscle cramps, and heatstroke.

However, a less discussed yet deeply distressing symptom is quietly driving hundreds to hospital emergency rooms due to a feeling of suffocation. People are feeling as if the heat is making them unable to breathe, which is leading to a sense of panic.

To understand why a soaring thermometer makes it feel like the air has vanished, leading medical professionals to address a medical issue that is complex to treat. People need to understand what exactly is happening inside their bodies.

When extreme heat meets heavy moisture, you need to look at the mechanisms behind heat and humidity, along with their effects on physical health.Why Humid Weather Causes Breathlessness

Many individuals report a distinct sensation of choking or air hunger when stepping outdoors on a heated afternoon. According to Dr Nikhil Modi, Respiratory Medicine Specialist, Apollo Hospitals, "High humidity physically alters the composition of the air people inhale, leading them to experience breathlessness.”

He says, "When moisture levels peak, the air becomes dense with water vapour. This heavy atmospheric water vapour displaces a percentage of oxygen molecules in any given volume of air.”

Source:Ndtv