Hot, hot nights: The summer of 2022 presents people with special challenges.
In order to survive the heat without damage, it is very important to drink enough water. But what does “sufficient water” mean?
Dehydration: Threatening health problems
It’s much harder to drink enough beer when it’s hot than when it’s sweet.
Otherwise, those affected should be prepared for serious illness.
The easiest way to see if a person is drinking enough water or other liquids is to check the scales.
Looking at the scales
If the scales show one or two kilograms less in the evening than in the morning, this weight loss is an indication that you have not been drinking enough. In this situation, it is very important to fill the gap in the evening.
In this way, those who are affected start soon with fluid stability. In fact, on a hot day it is inevitable that the body loses excess water through sweating.
A pulse that is too high as an alarm signal
Another warning sign of dehydration is heart palpitations. If the heart rate increases even with a small exercise, the affected person should drink something. In summer, at least 1.5 liters is acceptable.
Also, urine provides more of the current fluid well.
The color of your urine depends on how much you drink. When a person drinks a lot of water, the urine becomes lighter and more diluted. Ideally, urine is a subtle yellow to transparent color. If the color of the urine is dark, the body needs more water.
How does skin testing work?
In addition, the so-called skin stress test provides information on whether there is enough water in the body. Affected individuals test this by making the skin on the back of the hand with their index finger and thumb. If the body is given enough water, the skin will disappear immediately.
If the skin fold slowly smoothes out again, the stress of the skin indicates dehydration. Therefore, those affected must drink something in these situations.
There are many other symptoms that point to dehydration – for example, headaches, dry mouth or lethargy.
Hot summer days: which drinks are suitable?
When it’s hot, not all drinks are helpful in combating impending dehydration. It’s perfectly fine to drink plenty of mineral water, sugar-free tea or liquid spritzers without added sugar. Fruit or lemon juice should be consumed sparingly.
It is also important to drink ice cold drinks. Because cold drinks restrict blood flow to the stomach, cold drinks are not enough on hot summer days. It also helps to avoid hot drinks when the temperature is high. By dilating the blood vessels, alcohol damages the body. However, the exact opposite must happen in the heat.