No Meltinnnggg! Don’t Dehydrate!!!

One of my patients is an ER nurse at one of the local hospitals. I asked her what’s the most common thing they see in the ER all year and she told me heat stroke and dehydration.
With our current heat index, here in AZ, being the hottest August on record, we really need to be aware of what may lead to dehydration, know the appropriate measures to avoid the problem, and how to properly rehydrate.
The biggest problem we have here with our AZ weather is the dryness PLUS the heat. The dryness factor relates more to the dehydration than the heat when looked at separately, but of course together a terrible duo is created. Dryness removes moisture from our environment, both internally and externally. Heat speeds up the process. The hotter it gets, the faster it goes.
Definitely stay hydrated with 8 to 10 glasses of good old H2O, but also keep in mind ELECTROLYTES – especially if you are out in the heat. Water alone, especially in excess amounts could lead to water intoxication, which could throw off electrolyte balance leading to central nervous system problems. There are cases of death on record of people drowning themselves by drinking too much water. You may be drinking water while in the sun, but your losing both water and those precious sparky minerals – calcium, magnesium, and potassium through your pores in the form of sweat.
The first set of signs and symptoms to be aware of are thirst, loss of appetite, dry skin, chapped lips, skin flushing, dark colored urine, dry mouth, fatigue or weakness, chills, head rushes. This occurs when the body has lost about 2% of it’s total fluids.
A second category of signs and symptoms occurs if we get to 5% total fluid loss: increased heart rate, increased respiration, decreased sweating, decreased urination, increased body temperature, extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, nausea, tingling of the limbs.
When we reach 10% total fluid loss, we will be at critical mass. Sever dehydration is kickin’ in. Emergency attention will be necessary. These signs and symptoms are muscle spasms, vomiting, racing pulse, shriveled skin, dim vision, painful urination, confusion, difficulty breathing, seizures, chest and abdominal pain, unconsciousness.
By paying attention and properly rehydrating we can avoid these serious situations.
The different sports-ade drinks and/or Pedialyte can be very good and helpful, but the best natural source of electrolyte replenishment is coconut water. The water of this healthy nut is so perfect for us humans that it could be intravenously piped into our blood stream because it so closely matches our blood plasma. It has a high concentration of potassium and contains calcium and magnesium. In this form, our bodies suck up all these mineral nutrients like a sponge and help keep our kidney’s healthy and our bodies in balanced hydration.
I recommend one daily to every other day here in AZ. With sever heat, two a day may be necessary when exposed to the elements via work or exercise/recreation.
Stay healthy.Stay COOL!
Respectfully,
Steven Schermerhorn, L.Ac.

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