This summer is starting out exceptionally hot, especially in the Southwest. However, dehydration can creep up on you, quickly anywhere you live. It's important to understand that it can even kill you. Young children and the elderly are particularly susceptible. Extreme heat kills more people than hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and lightening combined each year.
The rule of thumb is to drink at least two liters a day to stay
hydrated. Do NOT wait until you feel thirsty. And avoid caffeine,
alcohol and sugary drinks because they cause you to lose more body
fluid.
Here are the subtle signs that you are dehydrated:
Color of Urine: When your hydration status is good,
your urine will be clear to light yellow. The darker the urine, the more
dehydrated you are. Drink up when your pee is darker than usual.
The "pinch" test: When your body's cells become
depleted of water, the skin loses tension. Test the elasticity of your
skin by pinching the back of your hand and hold it for a few seconds.
Let go and if the little "tent" stays pinched and takes more than 5
seconds to go back to normal, it's usually a sign of moderate
dehydration.
Bad breath: Bad breath should make you think about
dehydration during a heat wave. If you don't drink enough water, and
you're losing water through sweating, your body can't make enough
saliva, meaning your mouth is dry and bacteria grow easily.
Sitting in front of a fan: New evidence has shown
that when temperatures rise above 95 F, an electric fan might actually
make you even hotter, by blowing hot air on you, making you unable to
sweat.
And not being able to sweat puts you at greater risk of dehydration and even heat exhaustion.
To stay adequately hydrated, the rule is that you need to always drink one-half of your body weight in ounces of water.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
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