How to Prevent Dehydration

Summer is here so what problem is soon to arise, dehydration. The majority of people 65 and over are hospitalized because of dehydration. The most common symptoms are: dry lips, headache, weakness, dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, nausea, muscle cramps, and darker than normal urine. Most people don’t realize when they are dehydrated. Some people only drink when they are “thirsty” but by the time you feel you need a drink you are usually dehydrated.

Some people are at more risk to experience dehydration. Children loose water quicker through the skin than adults especially through physical activity. It is advised that children receive 4-8 oz. of water before ever stepping foot outside. While playing they should be given 5-9 oz. of liquid every 20 minutes so that they can replenish their supply When they are finished playing they should drink 24 oz. within two hours.

Athletes also require a lot of liquids to keep from dehydrating. Even a short amount of exercise can greatly increase your need for liquids especially if you are outside. It is advised that the athlete drink 17-20 oz. before beginning any activities. While active the athlete should drink 7-10 oz. every 10-20 minutes. When the physical activity is done the body still needs more water to help replenish what it lost; it is recommended that at the end of all the activity the athlete drink up to 24 oz. within the next two hours. Other adults also need to be aware of dehydration. People working outside can loose a lot of water even if the labor is not very vigorous. If you are planning to work outside at any point of the day make sure that you have packed plenty of water and other drinks into a cooler and make sure to take breaks to relax and drink at least every two hours. Also older adults require more water. The heat will affect you intensely even if you are only standing in the sun. In older adults the sensation of being thirsty is reduced so there is less of a reminder to drink. It is advised that older people, especially people over 65, drink something every few hours.

Most people were told at one point in their lives that you should drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day. There is no scientific evidence saying that this is true yet it is still a good rule to follow. On average an adult loses 8-10 cups a day of water. If you drink a little more than eight cups a day then you can replace most of what you lost. The Institute of Medicine recommends that the average male drink 13 cups of fluids per day while the average woman not pregnant or breast feeding drink approximately 9 cups per day.

Some people say that they don’t like drinking water for one reason or another. There are other things that you can drink besides plain boring water. Flavored water is a fine replacement. Another popular replacement is a sports drink. It has been shown that lightly-sweetened, non-carbonated, flavored sports drinks do a better job of preventing dehydration than water. They are good especially for athletes with replacing lost electrolytes and they provide carbohydrate energy to working muscles.