Got Water?

Keep in mind as you enjoy the hot summer months that higher temperatures combined with outdoor activity can lead to dehydration. Knowing how to prevent dehydration and treat it in its early stages is the key to avoiding serious health consequences.

What is Dehydration?
Dehydration occurs when your body loses too much water. Your body reacts to fluid loss by redirecting blood flow to your two most important organs: your brain and heart. That means there’s less blood flow to other parts of your body and, after a while, you may start to feel the effects. The symptoms of mild or moderate dehydration often include:

• Thirst


• Dry, sticky mouth


• Sleepiness


• Decreased urine output


• Headache


• Few or no tears when crying


• Muscle weakness


• Dizziness or lightheadedness


• Decreased sweating


• Irritability

More severe dehydration can lead to serious symptoms such as anxiety and agitation, parched skin, or rapid heartbeat, and requires emergency treatment.

Who’s Most at Risk?
Any one can become dehydrated, but certain people are at greater risk. Infants and children can more easily become dehydrated due to their high metabolic rate and low body mass. Older adults are often more susceptible since their bodies are less able to conserve water and they tend to lose “thirst sense” as they age. People with chronic illnesses (such as diabetes) may become dehydrated due to disease symptoms, medications, or lack of appetite. In addition, endurance athletes and people living or working at high altitudes are at greater risk.

Medication Complications
Planning to take a cruise, go on a camping trip, or simply spend a lot more time outside than usual? If you take certain medications that can cause dehydration (or make it worse), you may need to adjust your dosage or alter your hydration strategy. Medications that can cause dehydration include:

• Antihistamines (e.g., Benadryl)


• Chemotherapy drugs (e.g., Cytoxan)


• Diuretics (e.g., Lasix)


• Laxatives (e.g., Correctol)


• Heart and blood pressure medicines (e.g., Digoxin)


• Psychiatric drugs (e.g., Seroquel)

Even over-the-counter drugs like Aspirin and Ibuprofen can affect your body fluid balance. If you take one of these types of drugs, contact your doctor before your next big outdoor excursion. He or she can tell you what you need to do to prevent dehydration.

Hydration Strategy

Everyday Prevention: Follow these tips to stay healthy and hydrated.

For everyone:

• Drink water every 15-20 minutes during exercise, and after.


• Avoid caffeine (it can accelerate dehydration).


• Eat fruits and vegetables, and consider taking a multivitamin to replace
  depleted vitamins and minerals .


• Wear light-weight, light-colored clothing outdoors.

For adults:

• Drink 8 to 10 cups of water each day.


• Pack a sports drink containing electrolytes (like salt and calcium) if you’ll
  be exercising longer than 60 minutes.


• Avoid alcohol (it can accelerate dehydration).


• On a high-protein diet? Drink more water.
  

For kids:

• Drink 4 to 10 cups of water each day (depending on age).


• Choose water or a kid’s oral rehydration solution (ORS) like Pedialyte.


• Avoid sports drinks, soda, and juice (these contain a lot of sugar, which can aggravate dehydration).


• For babies under 1 year, breast or bottle-feed often.

At-Home Dehydration Treatment
If you catch it early, you can often treat mild or moderate dehydration at home. If you notice symptoms of dehydration:

For everyone:

• Stop your activity and rest. Get out of sunlight and lie down in a cool spot indoors or in the shade.


• Prop up your feet.


• Remove excess clothing.

For adults and kids 12+:

• Drink water, juice, or a sports drink. Consume 8 cups of cool liquid over the next 2 to 4 hours.


• Rest and continue to drink lots of fluids for the next 24 hours.
  

For kids 1-11:

• Drink a kid’s ORS, half-strength orange juice, or plain water (if also eating food).
  

For babies under 1 year:

• Feed them an ORS via bottle, spoon, or dropper if dehydration develops.

The Good, the Bad, and the VLDL: Decoding Cholesterol

Too much cholesterol in your body and diet can put you at risk for heart disease and other health problems. However, as you’ve probably heard, there are different kinds of cholesterol, and not all of them are bad for you. It may seem complicated, but learning just a few key facts about cholesterol can help you control your risk.

What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance produced naturally in your liver and typically contained in foods derived from animal products (like meat and dairy). In healthy amounts, cholesterol performs vital body functions: it’s used to build cells and to make vitamin D, bile acids, and hormones. The problem is, you can easily have too much. When cholesterol levels are too high, it builds up on the walls of blood vessels to form plaque. These deposits can make it difficult for blood to flow, which deprives your body of oxygen and puts you at risk for heart disease.

How Can I Tell If I Have High Cholesterol?
There are no direct symptoms of high cholesterol; however, physicians can detect it using a special blood test called a lipid panel. Starting at age 20, you should have your cholesterol
tested at least once every five years; more often, if your physician recommends it. In general, you’re more likely to have high cholesterol if you can say “yes” to any of the following risk factors.

• I’m a smoker.
• I’m overweight.
• I don’t eat healthfully.
• I don’t exercise regularly.
• I have high blood pressure.
• I’m diabetic.
• I have a family history of heart disease.

The Cholesterol Code
Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein. This combination of cholesterol (a lipid) and protein is called a lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are either high-density or lowdensity, based on how much protein and fat they contain.

• Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are “bad” cholesterol. LDL contains mostly fat with only a small amount of protein. It can build up as plaque inside your arteries (atherosclerosis), which can lead to heart disease. If you have high cholesterol, your doctor will want you to lower your LDL.
• High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are “good” cholesterol. HDL contains more protein than fat. It functions as a “sweeper,” clearing out excess cholesterol in your blood and carrying it back to your liver. A high level of HDL can help prevent heart disease.
• Triglycerides are a common type of fat found in your blood. It’s used to store energy, but if levels are too high, and you also have high LDL, they can increase your risk for developing coronary heart disease (CHD).
• Very-lowdensity lipoproteins (VLDL), a precursor to LDL, are the type of lipoprotein containing the most triglycerides. If you’re taking an LDL-lowering medication, you may also need to take a separate medication for VLDL.

How’s My Cholesterol?
The American Heart Association has come up with optimal levels for total cholesterol and for each type of cholesterol. Compare your most recent test to their numbers to find out how you're doing.