• In a healthy adult up to 60% of body weight is water. Water is the most important among all the nutrients consumed in the day. When the temperature is normal and bearable, the body's metabolism is automatically maintained  water balance is maintained easily. 
  • Fluid intake is variant. And may alter with extremities in external temperature and our own willingness to remember to consume water, while at work or home.

Causes for dehydration and water loss from the body:

  • Elevated temperatures and high intensity of sunlight even at lower temperatures.
  • Vomitings
  • Diarrhea
  • Infections
  • Certain medicines

Symptoms:

  • You may feel restless, lethargic, irritable with certain amont of diziness and sunken eyes 
  • Dry moth and skin
  • If you are dehydrated, you may be at loss of water as well as salts from the body, hence the blood pressure may dip, and people tend to faint due to reduced blood pressure or reduced blood flow to the brain.

Preventions:

  • Avoiding outings in the peak afternoon time in summer (1 pm -5 pm)
  • Frequent intake of water 8 glasses or up to 2 liters of water per day is a must.
  • Hydrating fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, peaches, nectarines, lichies or a mocktail with cucumber or orange extract will work wonders. (Have it twice a day in summers)
  • Reduce the amount of spicy and oily food during this time and increase your fluid intake.
  • Take a bath regularly and keep yourself fresh and sweat free
  • If you feel like you might faint or if you feel dizzy after a long day in the sun, mix a tea spoon of salt and a tea spoon of sugar in a long glass of plain water and drink it.
  • Electoral or glucose water available at any store can also be taken for instant energy.
  • Its always recommended to eat before you set out in the sun and cover yourself with a scarf or a cap.
  • Old people and children should be more careful than the youngsters cos their body is slow metabolically to adapt to rapid variations in temperature, try to stay indoors and cool and darken your room with moist curtains , if there is no cooler.They can have a coconut water juice everyday which is natural , healthy and re hydrating.
  • If you notice fever due to sun stroke , please stay indoors and take medications and keep yourself hydrated until the fever subsides.
  • Most of the time, we know what our body needs, all we need to do is listen to it.

Myth - As soon as you come home after working in a hot day, you should drink refrigerated water.

Fact -  Absolutely not. We are humans not chameleons, our bodies cannot adapt to rapid change temperatures in seconds or minutes. It is sensible to drink water at room temperature though you are tempted to drink cold water, if you don't need a sore throat. 

Oral rehydration-

  • Oral re hydration salts for children, aged,and  people with vomitings,diarrhea or fever.
  • If the dehydration is severe parental administration of I.V fluids is suggested, through injections of saline (distilled salt water) into the vein. 
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