Dehydration

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What is Dehydration? What Causes It?

Dehydration happens when your body doesn’t have as much water as it needs. Without enough, your body can’t function properly. You can have mild, moderate, or severe dehydration depending on how much fluid is missing from your body.

Causes

It’s normal to lose water from your body every day by sweating, breathing, peeing, and pooping, and through tears and saliva (spit). Usually, you replace the lost liquid by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. If you lose too much water or don’t drink and eat enough, you can get dehydrated.

You can lose more water than usual with:

  • A fever
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Excessive sweating
  • Peeing a lot (Diabetes and some medications like water pills — also called diuretics — can make you pee more often.)

You may not replace the water you lose because:

  • You’re busy and forget to drink enough.
  • You don’t realize you’re thirsty.
  • You don’t feel like drinking because you have a sore throat or mouthsores, or you’re sick to your stomach.

Symptoms

Signs of mild or moderate dehydration include:

  • Thirst
  • Dry or sticky mouth
  • Not peeing very much
  • Dark yellow pee
  • Dry, cool skin
  • Headache
  • Muscle cramps

Signs of severe dehydration include:

  • Not peeing or having very dark yellow pee
  • Very  dry skin
  • Feeling dizzy
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Rapid breathing
  • Sunken eyes
  • Sleepiness, lack of energy, confusion or irritability
  • Fainting

Symptoms for babies and young children can be different than for adults:

  • Dry mouth and tongue
  • No tears when crying
  • Dry diapers for 3 hours
  • Sunken eyes, cheeks, soft spot on the top of the skull
  • Sleepiness, lack of energy, or irritability

Severe dehydration is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately.

Source: https://www.webmd.com

3 Levels Of Heat-Related Illness

While spending time outside is a great way to get fresh air and exercise, spending too much time in sweltering heat without relief can be dangerous. Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to heat-related illnesses like mild heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or severe heat stroke. Each level of illness causes different symptoms. Knowing the warning signs will help you identify the degree of seriousness and how you should respond.

1. Heat Cramps

Heat cramps are painful muscle cramps or spasms in the abdomen, arms, or legs. They’re the first sign of heat illness, and your condition can worsen if you don’t cool down. Heat cramps typically occur after intense exercise or sweating in high heat. You may also experience flushed, moist skin.
First Aid

  • Move to a cool place to rest.
  • Loosen your clothing and fan skin.
  • Sip cool sports drinks containing salt and sugar.
  • Stretch your muscles slowly.

2. Heat Exhaustion

More severe than heat cramps, heat exhaustion can include excessive sweating, clammy skin, a fever over 100.4° F, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and a fast, weak pulse. Heat exhaustion can escalate to heat stroke if left untreated.
First Aid

  • Move to a cool place to rest.
  • Loosen your clothing and fan skin to cool down.
  • Sip cool sports drinks containing salt and sugar.
  • If you experience no improvement, get medical help right away.

3. Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness and requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms include a high body temperature of 103°F or higher, warm and dry skin, confusion or slurred speech, agitation, nausea, vomiting, and a rapid heart rate. Seizures and loss of consciousness are possible.
First Aid

  • Call 911 right away.
  • Move to a cool, shaded area until medical help arrives.
  • Remove excess clothing and fan the skin.
  • Place cold, wet cloths on skin and ice bags on groin and armpit areas.

Stitches

Serious cuts or incisions from surgical procedures may require stitches, or sutures, to hold tissues together while they heal. The goal is to piece together the edges so that skin and other tissues can fuse back together. Then the stitches are removed.

Although it’s natural to feel a little anxious if you’re getting stitches, especially if you’ve just experienced trauma. And stitches will help cuts heal with minimal scarring or risk for infection.

Signs a Cut May Need Stitches

It’s not always easy to tell if a cut requires stitches.  You should seek medical care for any cut that:

  • Is deep, jagged, or gaping
  • Is on the face or another part of the body where scarring may be an issue
  • Bleeds profusely without stopping after 20 minutes of direct pressure
  • Feels numb
  • Is in a hand or limb that doesn’t function properly after being cut

If any of these criteria apply to your injury, see a doctor as soon as you can. In the meantime, apply direct pressure to help control bleeding. It might also help to raise the injured area above the level of your heart, if possible.

If you are injured and have not had a tetanus shot in more than five years visit us today.

 

Source: https://www.webmd.com/

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