A sugarcane cutter works under the hot sun in western Maharashtra. (Photo: Sanket Jain)
MAHARASHTRA, INDIA — After an hour of working in a sugarcane field, Shakuntala Admane felt dizzy for four hours. Then, as temperatures soared past 40 degrees Celsius, she passed out.
Subsequent medical tests confirmed that the 60-year-old farmworker had hyponatremia, a condition in which the sodium level in the blood becomes too low. Without proper treatment, hyponatremia can lead to brain swelling, seizures, coma, muscle breakdown, and even death.
Admane, who lives in the village of Yadrava in western India, was not alone. From March to May, when temperatures in parts of India rose above 35°C, local doctors began noticing that many patients were coming to them with persistent confusion, weakness, and convulsions.
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