Experts: Beating the heat means drinking water, not Diet Coke
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
The number one thing you can do to stay out of trouble is drink water, and the best way to check hydration is by checking the coloration of urine.
Pale yellow is best said Dr. Matt Deibel, Covenant HealthCare emergency physician, but either dark or colorless means a person is under- or over-hydrated.
"Drink more than you think you should and even when you aren't thirsty," he said.
The first signs of mild heat illness can include a prickly rash or heat cramps. Symptoms of more serious heat exhaustion can include nausea, dizziness, and an elevated heart-rate.
Deibel said the most at-risk of heat illness are people 75 years old and older and children younger than 4.
"Young kids would rather play than stop and get a drink or go into the shade," he said.
Comments
JD
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 5:12 a.m.
JNS131 - Gatorade has potassium, and sodium too, not just sugar. Sodium being the important one in my opinion. I said "working all day or exercising." I'm talking about prolonged strenuous activity in intense heat, where the salts can be sweat out of the body to a dangerous point. Athletes know this. If you flush out all of the sodium it can lead to Hyponatremia. I also said dilute it 50-50, so you only take in half the sugar. And we need sugars too, just not a ton of it. If you are just out in the heat for awhile, then maybe pure water is fine, as we usually get plenty of salt in our food. But strenuous, prolonged sweating, is what I'm talking about. The last few years in the news I've seen so-called health experts telling us to constantly guzzle water, even when we are not thirsty. I posted this just to remind people that we need salt too, AND sugar. Salt and sugar are not evil. The body needs both.
jns131
Sat, Jul 7, 2012 : 3:06 a.m.
Obama just passed a tax called Obama Care. I really do not want my taxes going to pay for your health care when I haven't been sick a day in my life nor to a hospital in ages. So, unless yes the health care police get real with those who agree with Rudy in NY to limit over sized beverages, the government will step in. Enjoy your gatorade, I plan to live to O, say 103?
JD
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 5:36 p.m.
Gatorade does not contain high fructose corn syrup! They took it out of the recipe a few years ago. Do we have to drink swamp water that our ancestors drank? Is that your answer? LOL. Try cytomax or Endurox R4 too people. Both are even better than gatorade. We got the diet coke police, and the gatorade police here.
jns131
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 4:15 p.m.
Bananas have more potassium then Gatrorade. Or try an Avocado if you want the calories. So, unless you are into fructose high corn syrup, Gatorade is not real sugar and just gross. Bananas are more easily digested by the body and so are a lot fruits. Our ancestors never had Gatorade and well, non of the fat producing diet stuff either. Real sugar, real fruit and veggies and water is the way to go.
jns131
Thu, Jul 5, 2012 : 5:18 p.m.
The diet stuff isn't good for you any time of the year. Water is best all the time.
JD
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 5:24 a.m.
JNS131 - Water is best "all the time?" Gatorade has potassium, and sodium too, not just sugar. Sodium being the important one in my opinion. I said "working all day or exercising." I'm talking about prolonged strenuous activity in intense heat, where the salts can be sweat out of the body to a dangerous point. Athletes know this. If you flush out all of the sodium it can lead to Hyponatremia. I also said dilute it 50-50, so you only take in half the sugar. And we need sugars too, just not a ton of it. If you are just out in the heat for awhile, then maybe pure water is fine, as we usually get plenty of salt in our food. But strenuous, prolonged sweating, is what I'm talking about. The last few years in the news I've seen so-called health experts telling us to constantly guzzle water, even when we are not thirsty. I posted this just to remind people that we need salt too, AND sugar. Salt and sugar are not evil. The body needs both.
FredMax
Thu, Jul 5, 2012 : 11:55 a.m.
Dogmatism aside, what do the experts find wrong with drinking a caffeine free Soda for some hydration?
jns131
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 2:29 a.m.
Might want to check out the Today Show Health section to see the real reason why you should not be drinking that stuff at all.
ThaKillaBee
Thu, Jul 5, 2012 : 12:41 p.m.
It would be better than nothing, but the carbonation, phosphoric acid and sodium make water the better choice. You're going to feel better a lot faster gulping a cold glass of water than pounding back three cans of Diet Coke.
LAEL
Thu, Jul 5, 2012 : 12:16 a.m.
How come everytime annarbor.com posts an article about the heat, they use the same file photo. Over and over.
JD
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 5:15 a.m.
I'm not sure they do use the same file photo over and over. And that one by Lon is a good one. It does the job. Good enough.
jns131
Thu, Jul 5, 2012 : 5:18 p.m.
Do you have a new one to send them?
JD
Wed, Jul 4, 2012 : 6:32 p.m.
When working in the heat all day or exercising, electrolytes are needed too, not just water. I like to mix gatorade and water, 50-50.
jns131
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 2:30 a.m.
According to health experts all gatorade is sugar, water and dyes. Make your own if you have to. Otherwise, it is the sugar the will dehydrate you.