I’ve written before about heat emergencies on my CPRMom Blog, but with the hazy, hot, and humid weather we’re having on the Seacoast this week it seemed a good idea to revisit the topic.
When it’s hot and/or humid we sweat. It’s not pretty, not something we talk a lot about, but we do sweat. When we sweat we lose fluid, as well as some of the nutrients our bodies need. It’s important to replace those fluids quickly. Not treating dehydration can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke. Heat emergencies are progressive and recognizing dehydration and treating it can reduce the chances of a further heat emergency.
When we get dehydrated we get thirsty. You also might feel hot, get a headache, feel lightheaded, or faint.
The best way to treat this is to drink an electrolyte enriched drink or water. I get that not everyone likes to drink plain water or might not care for the taste of some of the electrolyte-enriched drinks. Our bodies need good fluids to work correctly. Coffee, tea, and carbonated beverages don’t fill that need. We might think we’re drinking enough fluids with our iced coffees and teas, but they are not replacing the fluids that we have been sweating out. We need to drink the fluids our bodies need – and those are electrolyte enriched drinks or water.
Stay cool… and drink lots of water!