diyhealth.com

Dehydration Prevention

Dehydration: Prevention


Top Prevention

1. Treat dehydration

It is advised to go to a shady, cool place if you start feeling the symptoms of dehydration. Begin slowly sipping water, though not cold. Take a cold washcloth and place it on the back of the neck in order to cool down. Seek medical help immediately if there is no sign of the symptoms disappearing.

2. Other preventive measures

There are several other measures that are very effective in the prevention of dehydration. Try to avoid the sun in the middle of the day and wear a hat to shade your head. Dark clothing absorbs heat, so it must be avoided. Wear a sunscreen to prevent burning because a sunburn prevents your body from cooling down.

3. Choose your beverages wisely

Although, it may appear that beverages such as coffee, sodas, and alcoholic beverages contain large amounts of water, therefore, they can help in the prevention of dehydration, the fact is exactly the opposite. These beverages contain ingredients which can actually speed up the dehydration process. Be sure to alternate these with water to hydrate you body, in case you are drinking these alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.

4. Drink sports drinks

A sport drink is very effective in preventing dehydration, especially if you are exercising or participating in a sports. Sport drinks contain electrolytes and these not only replace lost water, but also the lost minerals and salt in your body. These contain 6% to 8% sugars and a small amount of sodium. Salts are also excreted out of the body along with water and, therefore, they must also be replenished.

5. Select proper time for physical activities

Exercise when it is cooler, i.e., during morning or early evening. This way, less fluid will be lost from your body and the chances of dehydration are reduced considerably. Not only exercise, but other sort of physical activities must be done only during this time of the day.

6. Understand the risk factors

Babies, young children, obese people, the elderly, and physically ill people who are suffering from high blood pressure problems, heart disease or are on certain medications have a higher risk of getting dehydrated in hot weather when compared to others. The elderly, babies, and young children are at a greater risk because their ability to regulate body temperature is poor and, so, they can become overheated. Obese people get overheated quickly in comparison to a person with normal weight because they do not have much water in their body. On the other hand, people who are ill or are under certain medications are at a greater risk because they have less ability to cool down in hot days.

7. Drink plenty of water

The most obvious thing that you need to do in order to prevent dehydration is to drink plenty of water so that you can keep your body hydrated. You should try to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day as the bare minimum amount. Try to drink even more on hot days and when exercising. Keep a bottle of water near you during workout and drink from it every 15-30 minutes. Water keeps you hydrated throughout the day. When you are travelling, make sure that you always have a bottle of water with you.

8. Recognize the symptoms

You should be aware of the symptoms of dehydration if you want to protect yourself from it, otherwise, you won’t be able to limit its effects in the preliminary stages. Some of the initial symptoms which appear AT the beginning of dehydration are cramping of the arms and legs, dizziness and dry, and warm skin. But, as the dehydration worsens, so do the symptoms. The symptoms which you might experience in the later stages are sunken eyes, drowsiness, flushed face, nausea, vomiting, irrational behavior, confusion, rapid pulse, irritability, dark yellow urine, and weakness. If you are experiencing these symptoms, then you must immediately replenish your body’s water requirements.

9. Do not count on thirst as an indicator

People often misjudge thirst as an indication for staying hydrated. You must start drinking water not only when you are thirsty but at regular intervals. You will get thirsty only when your body has already lost quite a lot of water. This means that you are already dehydrated if you wait until you are thirsty to drink. Furthermore, drink more or until you feel you cannot take in any more water.

Today's Top Articles:

Scroll to Top