Whether you plan to spend your time swimming, hiking, or just lounging around outside, summer is a welcome break before the busy fall. There’s nothing like the summer season where days are long, but throughout these months, temperatures soar high and can make staying hydrated more of a challenge.
While there are plenty of tips to keep your skin safe, one of the most commonly overlooked ways to stay safe throughout summer is to maintain a healthy level of hydration. As many as 75% of Americans report chronic dehydration though, which can create all kinds of adverse health effects both mild and severe.
Before we dive into some helpful hydration information, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone has unique medical conditions that affect their needs. If you have specific questions about how best to stay hydrated, then contact Community Pharmacy today for immediate feedback.
How Hydration Helps Our Body in Summer
Staying hydrated is important any time of year, but especially so in summer when we lose fluids more rapidly through sweat. Virtually all of the body’s systems require fluids to function, but some specific health benefits of staying hydrated include:
- Easier internal temperature regulation
- More resilient skin
- Lubricated joints
- Improved digestion
- Improved cognitive function
- Less chance of becoming dehydrated
Staying hydrated gives our body the supplies it needs to perform, and if you aren’t drinking enough water each day, then you might start to see some warning signs.
Warning Signs of Dehydration
Dehydration can happen gradually over days or strike fast after rapid fluid loss, and it’s important to be mindful and catch the warning signs in the early stages. Even mild dehydration of just 2% can impair the brain and our digestive system from smoothly functioning.
When our bodies aren’t well hydrated, the following symptoms of dehydration can appear alone or in conjunction with one another:
- Dry lips
- Dizziness
- Headache and mental fog
- Increased heart rate
- Dark urine
Be aware of these signs, especially after spending extended periods of time in direct sunlight which can further drain the body of fluids. While the mild symptoms of dehydration can be offset by drinking enough water, if left unchecked, dehydration can advance to more serious forms like heat stroke.
How to Best Stay Hydrated
You’ve probably heard the classic recommendation of six to eight glasses of water per day to stay hydrated, which is a good starting point for most. The amount of water needed per day does vary from person to person depending on weight, environment, and activity, but around 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women is a good range to work within, as recommended by health experts.
Aside from drinking plenty of clean water, there are other tools you can use to help stay hydrated throughout summer.
Drinks that have electrolytes often provide a nice energetic boost, but it’s also helpful to consume supplements or foods that have specific ingredients like:
- Vitamin A, B6 & C
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Iron
- Phosphorous
All are key contributors to help keep our bodies well hydrated and supplied with the chemicals they need.
If you have specific questions about how much water you should drink per day, or what health supplements will help you stay hydrated and healthy, contact Community Pharmacy for a specific recommendation from our staff.
Stay Cool All Summer Long
If you plan to be out and about this summer, the last thing you want is for a case of dehydration to slow you down. By just becoming aware of the signs of dehydration and taking a few easy steps to stay well hydrated, then you’ll be able to better enjoy all the fun activities of summer to your heart’s content.
