BY: TRISTA HONAKER
HINTON, WV (WOAY) – Summer days are here, and that means it’s time for some fun in the sun. However, many people forget about the heat and the importance of hydration. Local specialists explained why it’s important to keep hydrated during the summer season.
Many people in the summer love being outside and doing various types of activities. However, being out in the sun for too long can cause some health concerns, like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. While they sound like two different conditions, they do have similar symptoms you have to be aware of. They can range from faintness, headaches, fluctuating pulse speeds, and affected sweat amounts.
“What you can do is when you start to feel those symptoms, you remove yourself from the heat. You’re going to go to a cool spot, preferably air conditioner. But if that’s not an option, go to a shady spot,” explained Jamie Meade, weekend nursing supervisor at ARH Summers County.”You’re going to want to start cooling down as quickly as possible. Ice packs to the groin, to the axilla, to the back of the neck is a good option if you don’t have ice packs, you can always use just whatever you have in the freezer.”
To prevent these health risks from occurring, hydration is key.
“The more that you’re working in, the hotter it is, the more dehydrated you’ll get. So it’s really important to try to counteract that before you even get out in the heat,” said Meade.
The recommended daily amount of water is 64-96 ounces. To make sure you are drinking enough, there’s a unique way to tell.
“A good thing to do is monitor your urine. If you have light straw colored urine, then you’re hydrating. Well, if your urine starts getting darker, more concentrated starts to have an odor, you are not drinking nearly enough water,” explained Meade.
However, the prevention and the cooling-down method may not always work.
“After you’ve removed yourself or you know you’ve allowed yourself to cool down, you drink a lot of fluids, and you’re still having symptoms, you’re going to want to go to the hospital as well.”
