“Hydrate or die” is a slogan used by the Camelbak company to promote their vast array of hydration systems. While this is a deliberate and frightening way to sell their products, there is more than just a grain of truth to this catch phrase.With the hot months of summer upon us, it is important to address the problem of dehydration; the symptoms as well as the prevention and treatment.Symptoms of dehydration include but are not limited to:
- Cool, clammy skin
- Body will not produce more sweat even though the activity is not over
- Fast, irregular heartbeat
- Dizziness, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
- Chills, shakes and inability to think or speak rationally
- Muscle spasm
- Headache
If you or someone is having one or more of these symptoms, whether running a marathon or doing yard work, these are the steps to help treat the problem:
- Stop the activity and move the person to shade, the indoors or a car with air conditioning
- Give cool fluids – cooler fluids are absorbed more easily into the body
- Try water or watered down Gatorade, do not give soda or caffeinated products as they can exacerbate the problem
- If fluids are not tolerated and the person cannot keep them down, take them immediately to the emergency room where they can start an IV drip to replace fluids
To help prevent dehydration and unscheduled trips to the ER, you may want to utilize the following advice. Drink at least one-half of your body weight in ounces daily, no matter what time of year. For instance, if a person weighs 150 lbs., the absolute minimum daily intake should be 75 ounces. This means water only, not coffee, tea, soda or even flavored waters. Always bring a bottle with you and fill it often. If you have a lot of activity planned for the day, fill a cooler with ice and water and make sure you are drinking 5 to 8 ounces every 20 to 30 minutes.Simple, right? Just drink a lot of water … but beware: There is another condition where symptoms mimic dehydration; however, it is caused by drinking too much water. This is called hyponotremia (water intoxication) and occurs when a person consumes large amounts of water and the body’s electrolytes become “diluted”. Think of a glass of water with the perfect mix of electrolytes (salt, magnesium, potassium, etc). Now pour out one-half of the glass and fill it with plain water, and you have now disturbed and thinned out the balance of electrolytes. Keep doing this until the concentrate is all but diminished.To avoid yet another visit to the ER you may want to heed the following advice to avoid hyponotremia:
- Salt your food before activity (people with high blood pressure may want to consult a physician)
- Use products with some sodium (Gatorade, Cytomax) along with water
- Some athletes use some form of buffered sodium (Lava Salts, Electro-caps) when they know that they will be active for a long amount of time
Summer time is meant to be fun but for goodness sake “hydrate or die”.
For more information, call Falcon Physical Therapy at 719-495-3133.
