My son collapsed at work last night from heat and dehydration. He spent a couple of hours at the Outer Banks Hospital being checked out and getting some IV fluids. The EMT’s who transported us to the hospital and the staff at the hospital were professional and calm, keeping son and mom from feeling panicky.
Since we are experiencing record high temperatures, I’ll share some of the information we received from the hospital on dehydration.
Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount being taken in. The body is very dynamic and always changing. This is especially true with water in the body. We lose water routinely when we:
- breathe and humidified air leaves the body
- sweat to cool the body
- urinate or have a bowel movement to rid the body of waste products
Excessive loss of fluids can occur by
- vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, excessive urine output, or excessive loss of fluid from the lungs.
- Inadequate fluid replacement occurs when nausea causes decreased eating and drinking, with decreased intake due to other illness
Symptoms (from mild to severe) include: thirst, dry lips, dry mouth membranes, sunken eyes, skin does not bounce back quickly when lightly pinched and released; rapid, weak pulse (more than 100 at rest), cold hands and feet, loss of ability to sweat in spite of heat and temperature, rapid breathing, blue lips, confusion, lethargy, difficult to arouse.
Prevention: The body depends on a proper balance of fluid and electrolytes (salts, such as sodium and potassium) for normal function. Adequate fluid intake in the presence of illness or other stresses (such as extreme heat or exercise) is important.
So take it easy out there and stay hydrated!
