0505050387
0505050387
Published on: 28th July 2023
Medically reviewed by: Medical Director at First Response Healthcare
Medically reviewed by: Medical Director at First Response Healthcare
Hydration is important all year round, but it’s even more important during the summer months. Knowing how to stay hydrated in heat can help avoid health related issues such as dehydration symptoms. Here are some of the reasons for why hydration is necessary during summer:
- Higher Temperature: In summer, the temperature rises, and the amount of perspiration increases. When you sweat, you lose water and electrolytes that are essential for many functions in your body. Rehydration helps replace lost fluids and keep your body functioning properly.
- Increased Water Loss: In addition to sweating in the summer, people also indulge in outdoor activities such as sports, swimming, and hiking. These activities can lead to additional water loss through perspiration and increased respiratory water loss. To compensate for this increased water loss, it is important to consume adequate amounts of fluids.
- Risk Of Dehydration: Not drinking enough fluids to replace the fluid lost from your body can lead to dehydration. Dehydration symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, cognitive decline, and reduced physical performance. In severe cases, it can also lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which is a serious medical emergency.
- To Maintain The Right Body Temperature: Water does the job of regulating your body temperature. It dissipates heat from sweat and keeps you cool. Staying hydrated improves your body’s ability to regulate body temperature and prevents overheating, especially when exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight.
- Overall Wellness: Water is essential for many bodily functions, including digestion, blood circulation, absorption of nutrients, and excretion of waste products. Proper hydration supports these processes and promotes overall health and well-being.
To stay well hydrated in the summer or to avoid dehydration symptoms, it is recommended that you drink plenty of water throughout the day. Additionally, you can eat hydrating foods such as fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water. It is also important to listen to your body’s thirst signals and increase your fluid intake during exercise or in hot environments.
How Much Water Do You Need?
According to doctors, there is no universal formula for daily fluid intake. The amount of water you should need each day depends on your body, medical conditions, medications, and other factors.
While there are no exact standards for how much water adults and children should drink each day, there are general recommendations for both women and men. In hot weather, as a general rule of thumb, women should drink about 2.7 liters of water, and men should drink an average of 3.7 liters of water in total.
How To Stay Hydrated In Heat?
Staying hydrated is the key to staying safe and healthy in the summer. Here are some tips to stay hydrated in summer that can help avoid dehydration symptoms:
1. Drink Plenty of Water
As obvious as it might seem, one of the simplest and most important tips to stay hydrated in summer is to drink lots of water. Start by drinking a glass of water each morning when you wake up or before you go to bed. Have another glass with each meal. Have a glass or two after your workout. Drink small amounts of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration symptoms. Another way to tackle the question of how to stay hydrated in heat is to have a reusable water bottle with you at all times and to refill at regular intervals. Carry this bottle with you to work, in your car and when you go out to ensure you are drinking enough water.
2. Know Dehydration Symptoms
Is your skin feeling dry, inflamed, inflamed, itchy or sensitive? These could be dehydration symptoms. Having a headache, feeling dizzy or tired, experiencing muscle spasms, rapid breathing, fainting, and not urinating (or having dark yellow urine) are also dehydration symptoms. A simple solution if you experience any of these symptoms is to avoid heat and drink plenty of fluids. If symptoms worsen, it is important to consult your doctor.
3. Check Your Urine
A good way to find out if you are hydrated or not is to check your urine color. Pale urine, similar to the color of straw, indicates adequate hydration, while dark urine indicates a need for more fluids. A deep yellow or amber color means you may have mild to severe dehydration.
4. Avoid Alcohol & Sugary Drinks
Some fluids interfere with effective hydration. Another one among the list of tips to stay hydrated in summer is to avoid beverages such as sugary sodas, beer, wine, sodas, sweetened teas, energy drinks, smoothies, and flavored milks. These contain a lot of sugar, sodium, and other ingredients that draw water out of your tissues. Consider replacing some of these or having more water each time you have a drink that dehydrates you.
5. Avoid Being In The Sun Too Much
Proper hydration During Summer isn’t just about drinking water, it’s also about regulating your body temperature. In the summer, when the risk of heatstroke is highest, wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing to keep your body cool. Plan strenuous sports and physical activity during cooler parts of the day. Protect yourself from the sun with hats and other shade-giving accessories. Take frequent breaks when you’re in the heat and drink enough water. If it gets too hot, spray yourself with some water with a spray bottle.
6. Eat Water Rich Foods
Did you know that about 80% of our water intake comes from drinking water? The remaining 20% comes from food. All whole fruits and vegetables contain some water, but for maximum benefit, you should eat fruits and vegetables such as: cucumber, celery, tomato, radish, pepper, cauliflower, watermelon, spinach, strawberry, broccoli, grapefruit. They all contain over 90 percent water.
7. Recharge Yourself After You Sweat
Another way to tackle the question of how to stay hydrated in the heat is to make sure to consume water after you sweat. Depending on how much you sweat and the humidity level, it’s important to drink water during any physical activity, such as walking, biking, or going to the gym. Proper hydration means drinking plenty of water before, during and after exercise. Drink 2-3 hours before training. Drink 1 glass 20-30 minutes before exercise and some water within 10-20 minutes during exercise. Do not drink more than 1 glass within 30 minutes after training.
8. Freeze Your Beverages
Another one among the tips to stay hydrated in summer include keeping your water or other preferred beverages in the freezer for a while before heading out. This way, they’ll stay cold longer, and you can enjoy a refreshing drink as it gradually melts.
9. Add Natural Flavors To Your Water
Try adding some fresh ingredients to your water like limes, lemons, mints, oranges, berries, cucumbers and other fruits to enhance the flavor without artificial sweeteners or preservatives. This also helps you drink more water than you normally would. You can also try coconut water. This mineral-rich liquid is rich in potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium to quickly replenish fluids and electrolytes lost through exercise and hot weather.
10. Try Herbal Tea
Another tip to stay hydrated in summer is having herbal tea. Herbal teas are a great way to hydrate your body. Evening is probably the best time of the day for you to have herbal tea. Developing this new habit will help you relax a little more while preventing dehydration symptoms.
11. Set Reminders
With the busy summer schedules, it’s easy to forget to drink enough water. Set reminders on your phone or use apps to remind you to take regular sips of water.
Treating Dehydration | Doctor At Home | First Response Healthcare
Incase you want to speak to a doctor regarding treating dehydration or discuss any of your dehydration symptoms, First Response Healthcare (FRH) is just a phone call away. First Response Healthcare (FRH) is a JCI accredited home healthcare company in Dubai, providing patients with fast and reliable care in their own homes. FRH has received the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Committee International Standards for its international quality services. FRH has a team of DHA-accredited doctors who provide their services 24/7, even on weekends and public holidays. Our doctors can come to you wherever you are in the Emirate of Dubai, whether it’s your home, office or hotel.
Our doctor can reach you within 30 minutes after you book an appointment with us. Our doctors are internationally trained and can diagnose and treat a range of health issues, right from allergic reactions to fevers, colds, migraines, respiratory disorders, chronic conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, skin disorders, or other ailments.
Some Of FRH’s Unique Features:
- We can provide our medical services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including weekends and holidays.
- We will arrive within 30* minutes at the fastest after you book an appointment with us.
- We can come to you anywhere within the Emirate of Dubai.
- We can deliver medicines at your doorstep through our pharmacy partners.
- We can connect you to specialists if required.
- We can come to your home, hotel or office to collect blood or urine samples for diagnostic tests.
To book services of a doctor on call for treating dehydration or dehydration symptoms, you can call on 0505050387 or 800DIALDOC. You can also book an appointment through their website: https://firstresponsehealthcare.com/ae/dubai
