January 05th, 2021

High Temperatures  and Dehydration

A long spell of hot summer weather can take its toll on most of us, as it saps away the moisture from our bodies.  For those of us who are ageing or disabled hot weather could be deadly, especially if we are relying on others to give us drinks.
 
In such weather we need to drink more water than the usual recommendation of 6-8 standard glasses a day. 
 
Why is dehydration a problem?  Our bodies are 60% water and it is used in: 
 

• digestion
• circulation
• saliva
• transporting nutrients and wastes to and from our cells 
• maintaining our body temperature (sweat helps to cool us down)

 
Our bodies are continuously losing moisture though:
 

• urinating
• our bowels
• breathing
• sweating

 
We may lose fluids for other reasons such as:
 

• an underlying medical problem such as heart failure, kidney disease or electrolyte imbalance
• diarrhoea
• vomiting
• large blood loss
• high fever

 
Dehydration can occur quickly in hot or humid temperature as our body sweats more to try and cool our bodies down.
 
Here are some early signs of dehydration: 
 

• tired and grumpy 
• struggling to concentrate 
• experiencing a dry mouth 
• headachy
• unusually constipated 
• unusually hungry 
• dry skin
• cramp in the arms or legs
• urinating less than normal
• dizziness

If any of these signs are present in you or anyone you’re looking after, the first simple solution is to drink more fluids.  If this isn’t making things better seek medical help.'

How do you know whether you, or those you are caring for, are dehydrated?   
 
You or they may feel thirsty or hungry, however the best sign is urinating less frequently, with very dark urine. 
 
Remember dehydration is life threatening, so if you have any of the signs mentioned, ensure you drink more water than you would normally do. 
 
 
If you need more advice on how to keep hydrated just contact us at Therapy Professionals our friendly dietitians can help. 
 
 
            Phone                        (03) 3775280, 
            Email:                         admin@tpl.nz
            Website:                    http://www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz
 
 

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