Refreshing information about Dehydration and Sports Drinks

With the recent hot summer weather, it is very important that we stay hydrated because without doing so, an extremely hot day could turn into a medical emergency.  We should all be aware of the dangerous progression of symptoms listed below that occur from extreme heat and the fact that young children and the elderly are most susceptible to having problems.

Mild:  1% dehydration level:  increase in thirst

Moderate:  2% dehydration level: dizziness, dry skin, headaches, intense thirst, physical fatigue, dry mouth, swollen tongue, constipation

Severe:  5% dehydration level: fever, racing pulse, lack of sweat, sunken eyes, low blood pressure, dark colored urine, or no urine. 

Extreme: At a 7% dehydration level, intravenous fluids become necessary. 

At a 9% dehydration level or higher, delirium, loss of consciousness, or death could result. 

The British Medical Journal determined that one of the fifteen greatest medical advancements in the past century was the fact that sodium and glucose coupled together with water in the small intestine accelerates the absorption of the solution to orally hydrate and treat dehydration from severe diarrhea; the leading cause of death in children in the developing world.  The right ratio of sugar and salt added to water saved millions of lives from diseases like cholera, costing relatively little for people who didn’t have access to
IV therapy...