How to avoid dehydration during hot weather

When you hear the word “dehydration,” it’s easy to picture someone crawling across hot desert sand with an empty canteen and no hope in sight.

But you might not think about the confused elderly person, the fussy toddler who’s not shedding tears even though they’re crying or those times when you were tired, headachy and very thirsty. This is what dehydration looks like in the real world. But you can beat dehydration before it gets to the point where you experience the worst of it.

Emergency medicine physician Baruch Fertel, MD, and paediatrician Paula Sabella, MD, break down the warning signs of dehydration and give some tips for staying safe when the temperature rises.

What is dehydration and what causes it?

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluids than it takes in. When you’re dehydrated, your body can’t function as intended. While you might associate dehydration with extreme temperatures, there are quite a few things that can contribute to it.

Dehydration causes include:

• Fever
• Excessive sweating
• Continuous vomiting or diarrhoea
• Frequent urination

Who’s more at risk for body dehydration?

Since dehydration can be caused by illness or being in extreme heat, any of us can be susceptible to it. However, there are a few populations that are at a slightly higher risk.

If you work outdoors: the CDC recommends hydrating before you start the workday if you’re working in high temperatures. If you start the workday dehydrated, it might be harder to replenish what your body has lost.

Being an older adult: Older people may be at higher risk for dehydration because your body’s fluid reserves decrease as you age. Your body also gets to the point where it might not effectively communicate thirst.

Infants and toddlers are at risk because they can’t tell you when they’re thirsty. Dehydration can also develop when they’re sick.

If you have a chronic condition, you might be more susceptible to dehydration, especially if you’re living with a digestive condition that causes frequent diarrhoea. Medications can also cause dehydration if they have diuretics in them.

If you’re pregnant, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) can cause severe vomiting and make it tough to keep fluids down. In some cases, you might require IV fluids to prevent dehydration.

If you’re an athlete, it doesn’t matter if you’re outside, indoors or even in water, athletes can become dehydrated in any setting. When you’re engaged in intense physical activity, your body temperature rises. Sweat cools your body down, but you lose fluids and electrolytes in the process. You can become dehydrated if both aren’t replenished.

Signs of dehydration and what we can do to prevent them

After being cooped up for so long, many of us are trying to make the most of our summer — even in higher temperatures. However, to prevent dehydration or even heat stroke, Dr Fertel says we need to stay hydrated.

“The most important thing someone can do to prevent themselves from experiencing a heat-related illness is to stay hydrated. It’s really important, especially now that it’s getting extremely hot outside.”

A few symptoms to look out for:-

“When someone is dehydrated, they’ll experience intense thirst. They also might not urinate frequently. Those are signs that you’re not getting enough fluids and progressing to dehydration. As you’re out in the heat more, you may feel warm to the touch and stop sweating. What you’re experiencing can progress to heatstroke. And by this point, you might have an altered mental status or not act right.”

Once you recognize that someone is dehydrated, Dr. Fertel recommends getting them out of the heat and giving them plenty of fluids. And by fluids, he strongly recommends leaving the booze alone.

“When we talk about hydration, it’s really important to drink water or other non-alcoholic liquids, as alcohol can actually exacerbate dehydration. It can be a diuretic and cause you to urinate more.”

Additional signs of dehydration

Dr. Fertel touched on intense thirst, not urinating as much, your skin being warm to the touch and not producing sweat as symptoms of dehydration. Here are some other signs of dehydration to look out for:

• Being cranky or anxious
• Headache, delirium, confusion
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth and/or a dry cough
• High heart rate with low blood pressure
• Not being hungry but possibly craving sugar
• Flushed skin
• Swelling in the feet
• Muscle cramping
• Heat intolerance, or chills
• Constipation
• Urine that is darker in colour (not light or clear)

If someone is confused, fainting, not urinating or in shock, get help immediately. The same also goes for heavy breathing or a rapid heartbeat.

How to prevent dehydration while working in high temperatures

It’s best to be proactive about staying hydrated if you work outside. You don’t want to just guzzle water once you’re on the job. Drink water before you start working and before you even feel thirsty. Once you’re in the heat, drink one cup of water (8 fluid ounces) every 15 to 20 minutes.

Avoid drinking more than 48 ounces of water or sports drinks in an hour because doing so might cause the amount of salt in your blood to drop too low. And hydrate after work to replace what you might have lost from sweating.

-Health Essentials