This is how much water you should be drinking during the heatwave

People are being advised to ensure they keep themselves hydrated during the current heatwave.
People are being advised to drink more water during the heatwavePeople are being advised to drink more water during the heatwave
People are being advised to drink more water during the heatwave
Read More
Met Office warns Sheffield residents to stay indoors as amber heatwave warning i...

A leading surgeon has recommended people drink three litres of water a day and said a "radical culture change" towards drinking water is required to help the country stay hydrated during the heatwave.

Bhaskar Somani, a consultant urological surgeon at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said attitudes towards water consumption "remained poor" even among those at higher risk of health problems.

People are being advised to drink more water during the heatwavePeople are being advised to drink more water during the heatwave
People are being advised to drink more water during the heatwave
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: "We should take this opportunity to remind people that consumption of three litres of water a day is a small price to pay to help maintain and improve your health, particularly during heatwave spells such as the one we are in right now."

He spoke out following a study of 162 patients who received treatment for kidney stones - for which poor hydration is a significant risk factor - at Southampton General Hospital.

It found less than a third (28%) increased their water intake, despite receiving advice after treatment on the need to drink 2.5 to 3 litres a day, particularly in the summer months, with the average intake of water at around 1.5 litres.

Mr Somani said: "As a urologist, it clearly concerns me that patients who have suffered with the pain and discomfort of kidney stones are not keen to take this simple step to help improve their health.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It then begs the question that, if those are the views of people in a high-risk group, what is the feeling among those who have no current health risks which could be aided by better hydration?"

He added: "As the country contends with this sustained period of extremely hot weather, we need to draw attention to why attitudes towards hydration remain

poor and how we can bring about a radical culture change to address it."

Mr Somani said his team had seen a rise in the number of patients admitted to hospital with renal colic - a pain associated with kidney stones - and stone formation in the past three weeks, but the effects stretched much further.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He explained: "Emergency departments are seeing large numbers of elderly patients who are dehydrated, along with outdoor workers who are battling the heat during the hottest parts of the day - and many of the problems tie in with poor fluid intake."

The NHS Choices website recommends people drink 1.2 litres of water daily (six to eight glasses) but adds: "In hotter climates, the body needs more than this. We also get some fluid from the food we eat."

The Star Football+ is the fastest and most comprehensive way to stay up to date on your mobile phone from our reporters. Just click here on your mobile phone to go straight to the FREE web app

It gives you quick access to all the latest football headlines and photos in one place, including match analysis, team news, stats, league tables and videos. Don't forget to save the app onto your mobile's home screen so you can get the latest news with just one click.