OT Heat Exaustion and Keeping Cool -- keep hydrated

[Guest guest]

Dehydration usually precedes heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Keeping

properly hydrated in the summer months ismost important. If you are

already dehydrated, drink a sports drink(i.e. Gatorade) or Pedialyte

(tastes yucky, but small children seem tolike it). Either of these will

rehydrate your body extremely quickly.

 

An important thing to watch for is the color and odor of urine. If your

urine is a very dark yellow and has a strong odor it's time to start

rehydrating your body immediately. Also, if you haven't urinated in

many hours, this is a another cue that you need to get more fluids.

 

If you sweat at all, you need to keep drinking to replace the fluids

you're losing.

 

When I am dehydrated, I tend to getsplitting headaches or a migraine

and/or feel extremely irritable. I will also have urine that it

verydark in color and has an odor. My skin will also be very dry --

I'll pinch some skin and it won't return to it's normal position right

away.

 

Some other symptoms of dehydration in adults are:

 

* increased thirst

* dry mouth and swollen tongue

* weakness

* dizziness

* feeling that the heart is jumping or pounding

* confusion

* sluggishness

* inability to sweat

* decreased urine output: Urine color may indicate dehydration. If

urine isconcentrated and deeply yellow or amber, you may be dehydrated.

The symptoms in very small children and babies are a bit different:

 

* sunken eyes

* decreased frequency of urination or dry diapers

* sunken soft spot on the front of the head in babies

* no tears when the child cries

* dry or sticky mucous membranes (the lining of the mouth or tongue)

* lethargy (less than normal activity)

* irritability (more crying, fussiness)

So please keep all this in mind this summer and stay hydrated.

 

 

Tina M. Hood

My website: http://www.MAnotary.us

Love to read – check out Book Crossing

http://members.bookcrossing.com/r/bff2b08062d0102aa9ae

 

, " wwjd " <jtwigg wrote:

>

> With these high temps, I thought this was timely. See Heat Exaustion

> symptoms below. If you are worried about running your AC at least

run it

> on 78 or so, to help prevent this. Yesterday we were down in Mobile,

AL at

> Zorbo's, a Greek Restaurant. Their AC wasn't working and before we

left, I

> thought I was going to pass out. We should of gotten our food to go

and

> eaten it in the AC of our vehicle. I don't know how they were working

in

> those temps. It had to be at least 90 degrees in there. The man

working

> there even said he had a hard time keeping folks that wanted to work.

Wow,

> I wonder why. In this part of the country we run our AC about 7-8

months

> out of the year, just like you folks in colder temps run your heat

several

> months of the year. We rarely have to use our heat more than a couple

of

> months out of the year and then not every day.

>

> Life can't stop because of high temps, so AC is a must in this part of

the

> world. Run it cooler earlier in the morning and get the house cooler

so

> that later in the day, when the electric company is having more of a

strain

> on the system, your AC doesn't have to work as hard. Run your washing

> machine, dryer(or hang outside, I have an umbrella clothesline that

doesn't

> draw a lot of attention to it), your dishwasher during the night or

first

> thing in the morning to help the electric companies. Use ceiling fans

and

> turn up your AC temp when you are out of your home. Close your blinds

and

> curtains too.

>

> If you don't have AC at least go to a place that does for several

hours a

> day to cool down your internal body temp. Take cold showers and stand

in

> front of a fan too cool off while still damp. Drink lots of water.

>

> Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can

> develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and

> inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Those most prone to

> heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure,

> and people working or exercising in a hot environment.

>

> Recognizing Heat Exhaustion

>

> Warning signs of heat exhaustion include:

>

> heavy sweating

> paleness

> muscle cramps

> tiredness

> weakness

> dizziness

> headache

> nausea or vomiting

> fainting

> The skin may be cool and moist. The victim's pulse rate will be fast

> and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion

> is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke. Seek medical attention

> immediately if:

>

> symptoms are severe, or

> the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure.

> Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if

> symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour.

>

> What to Do

>

> Cooling measures that may be effective include:

>

> cool, non-alcoholic beverages, as directed by your physician

> rest

> cool shower, bath, or sponge bath

> an air-conditioned environment

> Lightweight clothing

>

>

>

> Keep safe,

> Judy

>