Let us be honest for once here - it is a scorching day, and for some reason, you have to be out in the open air for some essential tasks. Would you enjoy the heat outside? Well, for people who live in cold climatic areas, the scorching sun might be a warmly welcomed guest, but in areas where summers are notorious for being cruel - the heat is nothing but unbearable!
Not to mention the myriad of illnesses and conditions that an intense heatwave is capable of causing - heat strokes, headaches, heat exhaustion, and heat cramps! All of them are nothing but sad reminders of how heat could mess up with our systems and make us weak and vulnerable to its effects within a short time.
But, since there is always a way out for everyone, there exists one such way for all the stressed out, ‘heated’ people out there. It is straightforward, and everyone can do it to escape from the cruelties of heat-related conditions. This ‘way-out’ is hydration, and it has been proven to help minimize the undesirable effects of heat and its related conditions.
How Does Hydration Help In Toning Down The Negative Impacts of Heat?
Usually, when we feel hot or cold, the receptors on our skin sense our response to the environment and signal the internal mechanisms to work in such a way that we may not feel excessively hot or cold. This temperature regulation process is called ‘thermoregulation,’ and it is essential for maintaining the body temperature within normal limits.
In sweltering weather, this thermoregulatory system acts by sweating you out. This regulation helps the body get rid of the excessive and unnecessary heat entering the body for no reason.
But when the weather takes an intense turn, that is, the amount of heat entering the body exceeds the amount exiting it (through sweating), a person very quickly goes into a dehydrated state.
Therefore, to counter this effect and stop the body from running out of enough water that could help take the detrimental effects of the heat away, it is recommended that a person stays hydrated during such heated summer days.
What To Do In Case Of An Emergency?
However, despite everything, if you or anyone around you ever experiences excessive sweating, cool skin, a weak pulse, nausea, vomiting, or unusual muscle cramping, then it is better that you rush your way through the Anaheim/Cerritos Medical Family to receive medical aid as soon as possible. This would save you from an oncoming heat stroke or heat exhaustion attack.
But, undoubtedly, the best way out is to stay hydrated and have at least 8-10 glasses of water each day to keep the heatwave at bay!
References:
Glazer J. L. (2005). Management of heatstroke and heat exhaustion. American family physician, 71(11), 2133–2140.
Hadad, E., Rav-Ac ha, M., Heled, Y., Epstein, Y., & Moran, D. S. (2004). Heatstroke: a review of cooling methods. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 34(8), 501–511. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200434080-00002