It is more common than you think. Yes, ending up thirsty and drained of all your energy on a hot summer day is common. But it is not a good sign for your health. If you ever find yourself exhausted and drained out, thirsty and tired, you are dehydrated. What is dehydration? Dehydration is the loss of water from the body in excessive amount. However, dehydration not only causes loss of water but also essential ions such as sodium, but it depends on the type of dehydration a person is having. Here we have given some tips to deal with dehydration.
Have a sufficient amount of water is the best way to deal with dehydration
Having lots of water is the best way to prevent dehydration. But the intake of water should be concurrent with the loss of water as the human body can tolerate neither excess nor less quantity of water. An average human loses around 2.5 liters of water in a day in temperate climatic conditions. So, taking around 2 liters of re-hydrating liquid will compensate for the loss of body fluid. Even a standard homemade drink can be used by mixing the following ingredients: 950 ml water, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon table salt, 2 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 sodium-potassium salt substitute.
It is to be noted that this drink is not for children below 12 years.
Avoid extra clothes
If dehydration is experienced during outside workout or exercise, then it is wise to take off extra clothes that are not necessary. This is because as fat is being burned to produce calorie, the core body temperature rises than normal level and thus body perspires to cool off. This is when significant body water is lost in the form of sweat. Around 350 ml of water is lost by diffusion through the skin and 100 ml by perspiration. So, the less number of clothes, the less body will perspire. The activity should be stopped and rest is to be taken, that too in shade. The motive is to lower the body temperature so that it does not speed extra body fluid.
Restrict certain fluids
Certain fluids and liquids are to be restricted during severe cases of dehydration, especially in case of children. Avoid plain water because normal water does not provide the lost electrolytes. Again sports drink are unable to replenish the lost ions through vomiting and diarrhea. Thus the best available option is ORS i.e Oral Re-hydration Solution, which is available in almost all drugstores or chemist shops. Milk, soda, caffeinated beverages, fruit juices are also to be avoided because they do more harm than good. This is because, during severe cases of dehydration, the body is not capable of functioning at its best or the metabolic system is weak, so complex nutrients are best to be avoided during this time.
Cover with a wet cloth
When dehydration occurs, fluids essential to the smooth functioning of the body, get sucked out of the body. This is due to the evaporation of sweat from the skin. Your skin ends up becoming dry. In such a situation, one can cover themselves with wet cloth to deal with dehydration. It helps to keep your body temperature cool and moreover prevents excessive evaporation of body fluids. It is advisable to rub a wet cloth all over your body when dehydration hits.
Take rest in order to deal with dehydration
If you notice the same signs of dehydration, the first thing you should do is to rest immediately. Halt whatever you are doing and let your body rest and recover. Forcing the body to do more work will just aggravate the situation and lead to more fluid loss from the body. Make sure you keep away from the sun and rest in a shaded area. This prevents the risk of heat strokes from occurring.
Having an ORS
ORS or Oral Rehydration Solution is a common solution found in all drug stores and other departmental stores. It is the best and quick remedy against dehydration. It contains essentials salts and minerals which are generally lost when someone suffers from dehydration. ORS revitalizes these essential salts in our body and it makes us feel fresh. The best thing about Oral Rehydration Solution is that it gives a quick response and is the perfect remedy in case of an emergency.
Learning the signs of dehydration
It is important to have some knowledge about the process of dehydration in order to deal with dehydration. Knowing the early signs of dehydration can save you your time to visit the doctor and your money too. Being informative is the need of the hour. If you know what you are trying to deal with, it will spare you the unnecessary worries and anxieties. You might be surprised to know that being thirsty is no sign of dehydration. You have been dehydrated way earlier before you did feel this way.
Staying hydrated
One of the best ways to prevent yourself from suffering any kind of trouble is to stay hydrated before you get dehydrated. One of the ultimate ways to do this is to drink pure water. In times of extremity, only pure water can help you save yourself from dehydration. It can help you keep yourself hydrated even before you get dehydrated thus saving you all undue trouble. But this is all going to happen when the water you drink is pure and ionized.
Simple yet effective tips to keep your body hydrated
With the summer hitting the nation at full blast, it is quite natural for our body to lose plenty of water via the kidneys, lungs, skin, and gut during the course of the day (an average of 2 ½ pints of water). The body needs to do the same in order to remove accumulated toxins from your body. However, this action would leave you dehydrated, which is why it is considered necessary for you to drink at least three pints of water every day. Accordingly, here are some tips that would help you remain hydrated no matter whether you detox or not.
Stick to water and reduce other drinks
Many feel that substituting water with other drinks like coffee, tea or soda would help them get the necessary amount of water that their bodies need on a daily basis. The truth is that these drinks are diuretics and can cause the water to be flushed out of your body faster than you think, thereby dehydrating it severely. Irrespective of whether you drink these beverages or not, make it a point to drink three liters of water every day. Nothing can beat plain, filtered water when it comes to improving body hydration. This would in turn help in hydrating the skin and keeping it healthy for longer periods, flushing out harmful toxins from the body and even hydrating your brain cells.
Drink bottled water
Instead of grabbing a soda or beer on the go, opt to have cold bottled water (natural mineral water, spring water or even table water would do as long as it is bottled) as this would refresh you instantly and keep your body hydrated for longer periods when compared to the other drinks.
Drink filtered water
Set up a water filtration system in your home. In addition to making the water taste better, this would actually encourage everyone in the house to drink more water. You can even model this into a healthy habit for everyone in the house to follow.
Exercise regularly
Exercising can increase your thirst and encourage you to drink more water. So make sure you exercise regularly every day and drink water in between to prevent dehydration.
Eat fruits and vegetables
Eating more fruits and vegetables would let your body get more water. Vegetables and fruits contain 90% water. Therefore, eating at least four servings of each can help your body gain at least 1 ½ liters of water.
Summary
Keeping your body hydrated is considered extremely essential to remain healthy in the long run. So make sure you follow these tips to improve your body hydration.