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RAF MILDENHALL, England -- With the summer here, increased opportunities for fun-filled activities also mean an increased chance of dehydration.
Dehydration occurs when the body is unable to replenish water and fluids effectively according to the National Institutes of Health's website at www.nlm.nih.gov. It can be mild, moderate or severe, based on how much of the body's fluid is lost and not replenished. When it is severe, dehydration can become a life-threatening emergency.
"Most often dehydration presents itself within people with feelings of fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches or lightheadedness," said Maj. (Dr.) Jeffery Harris, 494th Fighter Squadron flight surgeon RAF Lakenheath. "If truly severe it can cause kidney failure and eventually death."
Dehydration can be caused in several ways such as exercising without proper fluid intake, excessive urine output, fever, vomiting and diarrhea or just by not drinking enough water.
The NIH suggests carefully monitoring someone who is ill, infants, children and the elderly due to their higher risk of dehydration.
"I recommend the basics to my patients," said Harris. "They should be drinking enough so their urine is a light color or clear. If someone is really losing a lot of fluid, either through extreme exercise or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea, then it's usually a good idea to drink something like a sports drink that will replace lost electrolytes as well."
For more information on dehydration speak with your primary care manager.
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2012 05:17 |
| Story ID: | 91728 |
| Location: | ABERDEEN CITY, GB |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Keep hydrated, stay healthy, by SrA Ethan Morgan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
