10 WAYS TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION IN SUMMER
Summer is one of the best and favourite seasons for all of us. But is it also very dangerous because of the severe heat. Many people die every year due to dehydration. Specially, kids do not get enough hydration they need in peak summer as they are busy in their activities and play time. Not only kids but also many elders and old aged people suffer because of dehydration. Outdoor activities put people at risk which can lead to illness, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and in some cases death.
Why dehydration happens?
It happens when your body loses more fluids than you take in. when this happens, your body will not be able to finish your daily routine works. The effect of this is more in children and older people.
Best way to avoid dehydration is to notice the intake of fluids and be hydrated especially if you are staying in a hot climate.
Taking care of fluid loss
if you are playing or working in hot sun. Keep noticing how much fluids loss is there via sweat or by urine. Drink plenty of water and juices to keep up the shortage of fluids in the body.
Dehydration also occurs because of excess exercise or any illness that may involve vomiting and diarrhoea.
A few facts will help you why hydrating our body is so important:
1. Every person in a day loses a minimum of 2-3 litres of water; this can be more on a hot summer day.
2. A 3 hour flight journey can reduce around 1.5 litres of water.
3. A human body does not store water so if you drink plenty of water one day and not drinking enough the other day will not help.
Do you think your body can take the heat?
Many times you must be thinking that “I am used to this kind of heat every summer I can adjust to it”. This sounds very common but the heat may affect you without your knowledge in the form of illness and dehydration.
Your body will take a minimum of 10 to 14 days to get used to the heat if you keep healthy.
You should be educated about your body’s requirement and need for fluids. You should know the signs and symptoms of fluids lose.
Few measures to prevent dehydration:-
If you have young kids, few preventive measures you should take especially in hot days.
- Get kids used to warm weather. Bring them out occasionally. Increase the exposure to heat from the sun. Do it very slowly.
- Give them plenty of water and juices
- Do not let children play in the mid-day in peak hot days.
- Ask them to take frequent breaks.
- They should be hydrated before the play time
- Make sure they drink water every 20- 30mins when they are playing out.
- Dress them in comfortable clothing which allows ventilation. This will cool their bodies and help to slow down the fluid loss.
Preventive measure for older adults:-
It’s very important for older adults as their bodies store less water.
- Don’t wait till you get thirst.
- Keep water next to you always.
- Drink minimum of 6-8 glasses of water a day.
- If you have fever then drink more water.
- Do not skip meals, as you get lot of fluids from it.
- Drink fruit juices, sports drinks, milk, soups etc. and better to avoid alcoholic drinks and high protein drinks. They can dehydrate you.
- Identify balanced diet which has fruits and vegetables which has more amount of water, salt and vitamins.
- Drink electrolytes
- Often take tender coconut water.
- Sports drinks are fine but it has lots of sugar. So need to check if you are diabetic.
- Drink cool water. It may help keeping you cool for a long time.
Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration
- Dry lips and tongue
- Dry, sticky mouth
- Headache
- Weakness, dizziness
- Concentrated urine that appear darker
- Nausea
A few dehydration symptoms are not to be ignored are:
- Diarrhoea for more than 24 hours
- Bloody or black stool
- No proper urination
- Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
- Fast breathing or fast heart beats
How to manage spring allergies
Though it is very difficult to rule out the allergies completely but you can reduce it by taking care.
1. Try stay indoors when pollen count is high in the air. This is at peak in the early morning.
2. Close your home doors and windows during summer/ spring season.
3. Consider some natural remedies – like take Honey, turmeric, neti pots,
4. Avoid smoking- if you or your friend are smokers those particles end up entering your home and may cause allergy to your kids.
5. Consult your doctor and start taking preventive medication much before the pollen season.
6. Ensure to clean your home frequently. Better to vacuum regularly if you have carpets, always do wet wipe to dust.
7. Be sure of damp areas in the closed areas of wardrobes or any other places.
8. Never underestimate the natural methods like steam, neti pot as these will help to break down the mucus and relieve congestion. Many doctors suggest neti pot because this clears the nasal without harming. While steam sometimes may cause swelling in membranes, heat might provoke swelling, which may be harmful when you have severe allergy levels.
It is always better to consult your doctor if you have persistent cough. You doctor may rule out if you have any infections or asthma which can be treated with medicine or inhaler.
Learn how to read food labels carefully
If you are suffering with food allergy then you should be very careful when you buy outside food or processed food. The main food allergens are listed on the packing of the product like- milk, egg, peanut, cashew, wheat, soya, fish etc., but these may not be printed on the label if the rules are not strict in some countries.
Stay cleaned
Always remove your shoes, take bath and change your clothes as soon as you come from outside. This may reduce the amount of dust or pollen spread inside your house.
Know your indoor triggers- Hunt for suspects
It is not only the outdoor dust or pollen which always troubles you with allergies, but also many times some indoor things may worsen your allergies like pets, dust at home, dampness, cockroaches. It’s always better to know your allergies and try to minimise.
You can start maintaining a dairy and write down a few points which can help you find the cause of your allergy.
Like what you did today?
What food you ate?
What medicine you took?
Where did you go out?
The answers to these questions will help you and your doctor to analyse and treat you better.