Summer is upon us! Southwest Virginia is no stranger to temperatures that are regularly in the high 90s in July and August. Dehydration is a major risk when temperatures are at their peak, especially if you are already part of a vulnerable population. Drinking water alone may not be enough to help your body restore homeostasis. IV fluids are frequently given for dehydration in Agenacare urgent care in Virginia to give you a leg up on the heat and help you stay safe.
We Are All Mostly Water
A frequently cited fun fact is that humans are made up of approximately 60% water. This is a nice piece of trivia and helps make sense of the large amounts of water intake needed to keep your system running smoothly. Water intake looks a little different for everyone, with the average adult male needing about 3 liters of water and the average adult female needing only 2.2 liters.
This water does not all need to be consumed in a glass! Much of your liquid intake is actually found in your food, think berries, veggies, soup, etc. While water is obviously the drink of choice for your system, consuming other beverages like soda, juice, and milk will also contribute to your daily water intake.
What Does Water Do For Me?
You may find yourself wondering, ‘What does my body need all that water for?’ Many essential systemic functions cannot be performed without water.
- Temperature regulation, e.g., sweating
- Waste removal via the kidneys and urination
- Lubricating joints
- Digestion including salivation
- Cushions the brain, spinal cord, and fetus in utero
- Oxygen delivery via blood (which is mostly water) to your vital organs
These are not the only functions that water performs in your body, but you can see that without it, you would be in bad shape!
Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration
Dehydration is a tricky diagnosis. Much of what providers base their diagnosis on is actually the patient’s reported history of being out in the heat, not hydrating adequately, or multi-day vomiting. Weakness, dizziness, and confusion are common symptoms in adults, but they can also be symptoms of many other illnesses, so having these symptoms does not mean you are definitely dehydrated.
Extreme thirst, decreased urine output, and skin that tents when you pinch it instead of smoothing back out are all urgent dehydration symptoms in adults that need to be urgently tended to via IV fluids and an assessment by a medical professional.
At-risk Populations
Very young children and older adults are at a higher risk of dehydration. Infants cannot clearly communicate thirst and have a harder time regulating body temperature. They are frequently sick with high fevers and vomiting, both of which are significant sources of water loss.
Older adults are more likely to have diseases like diabetes and dementia, and to be on medications that cause water retention issues. Older adults are also less likely to feel thirsty, which leads to reduced water intake. They have thinner skin, meaning less of a protective barrier between them and the hot weather.
Complications
Being dehydrated can cause long-term damage to your body. Low blood volume leads to low blood pressure, which means that your vital organs are not getting adequate oxygen delivery. The kidneys are a vulnerable pair of organs that are especially sensitive to dehydration. They do not heal well and can be permanently damaged by dehydration, which will lead to kidney failure.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are sister illnesses to dehydration, caused by the hot, hot sun, and worsened by inadequate water intake. In extreme cases, the body may experience an electrolyte imbalance, leading to seizures. If you find yourself looking for heat exhaustion treatment in Franklin County or Salem, swing by your local Agenacare urgent care for help!
How To Prevent Dehydration
This may seem obvious, but dehydration is best prevented by ensuring that you are drinking an adequate amount of water each day for your body size, heat exposure, and activity level. A reusable water bottle is a great way to be certain that you have access to water at all times of the day.
Adding in a packet of electrolytes if you plan on getting extremely sweaty, either in the heat or through vigorous exercise, can help to prevent electrolyte imbalances. Be sure that you follow package instructions and do not over-consume electrolytes! Too much of a good thing can lead to swollen ankles, kidney damage, and cardiac arrhythmias.
Fix-It
If you suspect that you are dehydrated and cannot intake enough oral hydration to help, it is time to see a professional. Dehydration can be fixed with IV fluids at your local Agenacare urgent care in Virginia. IV fluids are an excellent way to put the pep back into your step by getting the water directly into your bloodstream so that it can help faster. Your friendly staff member will insert a flexible catheter into a vein in your arm and hook it directly up to a liter of normal saline.
This slightly salty water contains similar salt levels as your blood does naturally to prevent imbalancing your salts. The IV fluids will run into your body over 30 minutes to an hour, at which point your care team will reassess your hydration levels.
Don’t Let Dehydration Get You Down
The summer heat is intense, and staying hydrated may seem like an impossible task. Thankfully, there is a quick and easy solution! For mild to severe dehydration, get IV fluids at Agenacare urgent care in Virginia today, and start feeling better almost instantly!