Hydrating the easy way

Last week, our friend was taken to a hospital because she was feeling weak and nauseated, had severe migraine, could not walk properly and complained of back pains.

The diagnosis: Dehydration. The back pain was due to urinary tract infection that was also caused by lack of fluid intake. She was given intravenous fluids to manage her condition. We later learned that the hospital was full of senior citizens who were hospitalized for the same reason.

Symptoms of dehydration include fever, vomiting, headache, weakness, listlessness and cramps. If people don’t recognize the problem immediately, the condition could worsen into something more serious. Some tips to hydrate the easy way:

Bring a bottle of water when you leave the house, and take regular sips.

When you feel dehydrated, don’t just drink water. It’s better to use liquids with electrolytes, like Gatorade, Powerade or buko juice.

You can mix some rehydration powder into your water.

If you work or go to school, organize regular water breaks with friends. Someone can monitor the time and remind the group when the invigorating, 30-45-minute break is over.

Simple habit

Construction workers and those working in the fields should bring water bottles at work.

Don’t expose young children to the sun during the hottest periods of the day.  Let them drink water even when they’re playing.

For coaches, teach your athletes to rehydrate. We have a friend who teaches taekwondo and makes sure that his students get a water break every 20 minutes.

Those in the military should drink regularly. For soldiers, as it is with everyone else, heat stroke can be prevented.