India, June 19 -- As the climate crisis deepens, heatwaves are becoming an increasingly serious issue across the country. For the ordinary man, it is becoming increasingly difficult to face the day carrying a water bottle and looking for shade.

However, for people living with hypertension, a heatwave is more than a seasonal inconvenience, believes Dr Geetesh Govil, consultant cardiologist at Manipal Hospital, Ghaziabad. He shared with HT Lifestyle why that is, and what one can do about it.

During heatwaves, the vascular system of the body works hard to stabilise the body temperature. For people with hypertension, this extra burden influences their body's blood regulation, noted Dr Govil.

"The human body relies on vasodilation to releas...