Water - Fluids - Dehydration - Heat Stroke
REVIEW our Selected Water Articles in 2006. Stay informed and updated!
Also review Related Articles: Sports.
If you have any questions regarding our Search Reports, please contact us at info@infomedsearch.com.
Water - Fluids - Dehydration - Heat Stroke
NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Dehydration
"Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. Dehydration can be caused by losing too much fluid, not drinking enough water or fluids, or both. Vomiting and diarrhea are common causes. Infants and children are more susceptible to dehydration than adults because of their smaller body weights and higher turnover of water and electrolytes. The elderly and those with illnesses are also at higher risk. … Drinking fluids is usually sufficient for mild dehydration. It is better to have frequent, small amounts of fluid (using a teaspoon or syringe for an infant or child) rather than trying to force large amounts of fluid at one time. Drinking too much fluid at once can bring on more vomiting. Electrolyte solutions or freezer pops are especially effective. These are available at pharmacies. Sport drinks contain a lot of sugar and can cause or worsen diarrhea. In infants and children, avoid using water as the primary replacement fluid. Intravenous fluids and hospitalization may be necessary for moderate to severe dehydration. The doctor will try to identify and then treat the cause of the dehydration. … Untreated severe dehydration may result in seizures, permanent brain damage, or death. … Call 911 if you or your child have the following symptoms • Dizziness • Lightheadedness • Lethargy • Confusion Call your doctor right away if you or your child has any of the following symptoms: • Not producing tears • Sunken eyes • Little or no urine output for 8 hours • Dry skin that sags back into position slowly when pinched up into a fold • Dry mouth or dry eyes • Sunken soft-spot on the top of your infant's head • Fast-beating heart • Blood in the stool or vomit • Diarrhea or vomiting (in infants less than 2 months old) • Listlessness and inactiveness … Carefully monitor someone who is ill, especially an infant, child, or older adult. If you believe that dehydration is developing, consult a doctor before the person becomes moderately or severely dehydrated. Begin fluid replacement as soon as vomiting and diarrhea start -- DO NOT wait for signs of dehydration."
Highlighted Articles
"The most general dangers from heat are dehydration and overheating. Water lost through perspiring comes directly out of your bloodstream. If the water isn't replaced, you can develop heat exhaustion, — a condition marked by fatigue, dizziness, pale skin and shortness of breath. Heat exhaustion can occur in as little as 30 minutes if you're sweating heavily. … Heat stroke is a less common but even more serious danger. Heat stroke occurs when you generate so much heat that your body can no longer release it. Your body's overloaded cooling mechanism shuts down, causing body temperature to skyrocket. Heat stroke can develop in just a few minutes if you're exercising intensely, even when you're well hydrated. The usual treatment for heat stroke is putting the person in a tub of cool water. If not treated immediately, heat stroke can be fatal. Anyone who becomes disoriented or faints while exercising should be taken to a hospital. The solution: Be extremely careful when doing any intense exercise in weather over 80° Fahrenheit or 90-percent humidity. In a hot, humid climate, even a three-mile running race can boost body temperatures to dangerous levels. Keep your efforts comfortable and steady. … Helpful Tips [see article] "
"A 2002 study published in the American Journal of Physiology questioned the old recommendation of 8 ounces of water, eight times a day. After a thorough review, researcher Heinz Valtin concluded there was inadequate evidence that healthy adults -- living in temperate climates and not engaged in rigorous activities -- need large amounts of water. For normal, healthy adults, Valtin recommended simply drinking when thirsty. And he reported that even caffeinated drinks can count toward satisfying our fluid requirements. In February 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued new recommendations that agree with Valtin's findings. The new guidelines remove the eight-glasses-a-day recommendation, and say healthy adults may use thirst to determine their fluid needs. Exceptions to this rule include anyone with a medical condition requiring fluid control; athletes; and people taking part in prolonged physical activities or whose living conditions are extreme. The IOM report did not specify requirements for water but made general fluid intake recommendations of 91 ounces (that's 11-plus cups a day) for women and 125 ounces (15-plus cups a day) for men. Remember, these guidelines are for total fluid intake, including fluid from all food and beverages. Approximately 80% of our water intake comes from drinking water and other beverages, and the other 20% comes from food. Assuming these percentages are accurate for most of us, the recommended amount of beverages, including water, would be approximately 9 cups for women and 12.5 cups for men. "
Water: How much should you drink every day?
Oral Versus Intravenous Rehydration of Moderately Dehydrated Children: A Randomized, Controlled Trial (PEDIATRICS 2005)
Rapid IV versus oral rehydration: responses to subsequent exercise heat stress. (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006)
Voluntary fluid intake and core temperature responses in adolescent tennis players: sports beverage versus water. (Br J Sports Med. 2006)
"CONCLUSION: Ad libitum consumption of a CHO-E drink may be more effective than water in minimising fluid deficits and mean core temperature responses during tennis and other similar training in adolescent athletes."
Highlighted Internet Sites
CONTINUE YOUR INFOMEDSEARCH RESEARCH with our previous InfoMedLinks. Start with InfoMedLinks 2006.
Water, Fluids, Dehydration and Heat Stroke
General Information
NEWS:
Biggest threat to drinking water? Rust "But after the extensive purifying process, water ends up in your glass after traveling through pipes laid under city streets 50, 60 or 100 years ago. Those pipes -- made mostly from iron until plastic was introduced 30 years ago -- span almost one million miles in the United States. As the iron pipes corrode and break, not only does water escape, but also diseases get in, experts say."
Cryptosporidium Outbreak Hits the West (USA) "The cryptosporidium outbreak has reached record numbers, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesman Tom Shanahan said, and has federal officials looking at the role water parks and public pools play in spreading the diarrhea-causing parasite."
Enduring harm shown from arsenic in drinking water "People in a part of northern Chile suffered elevated lung and bladder cancer death rates decades after being exposed to high levels of arsenic in their drinking water, researchers said on Tuesday. Their study detailed the enduring harm from arsenic even as millions of people in developing and developed countries continue to drink water contaminated with the naturally occurring element found in soil and minerals. "
Extreme Heat Hits Elderly Harder "Due to age-related physical changes, older adults can't cool down as well as younger adults, says the American Geriatric Society's Foundation for Health in Aging. Older people may not feel as hot when temperatures are dangerously high, and they are also less likely to feel thirsty, even when they're almost dehydrated, the experts say. These and other factors mean that extreme heat can lead to serious health problems and increased risk of death for older adults. "
FDA Repeats Mineral Water Warning "The Food and Drug Administration has reissued its earlier warning to consumers not to drink "Jermuk" brand mineral water due to the risk of exposure to arsenic, a toxic substance and a known cause of cancer in humans."
[Fever as a prognostic factor for heat stroke.] (Presse Med. 2007)
Fluid Replacement and Exercise "Sport and athletic associations have stopped promoting the old mantra of "drink as much as possible." Instead, they have stressed the importance of proper fluid intake before, during and after exercise."
Heat-related Deaths In Middle, High School Football Players Spikes In 2006
Hospitalizations for Elderly Rise With 4 or More Days of Dangerous Heat, Study Shows "Heat waves that struck later in the summer didn't appear to lead to fewer hospitalizations than heat waves that hit earlier in the season. That finding suggests that people don't get used to the heat as the summer progresses, the researchers note online in the journal BMC Public Health. "
How Hot Is It? Check the Heat Index "The danger zone begins at a heat index of 104 degrees, when, with prolonged exposure, sunstroke, heat cramps or heat exhaustion are likely, and when heat stroke, which can be deadly, is possible. A heat index of 126 or higher is extremely dangerous. And it is not as hard to reach as it might sound. A temperature of 92 degrees with a relative humidity of 85 percent puts you there. "
Older Folks Often Ignore Summer Heat Warnings "Heat stroke may be signaled by suddenly becoming very flushed, experiencing a weakening of the pulse and the onset, in some cases, of muscle cramps. Those symptoms call for emergency medical care, Murphy said."
Outcomes Often Poor for Heatstroke Patients in Temperate Zones "They report that 28-day and 2-year mortality rates were 58% and 71%, respectively."
The Wonders of Water "A 2002 study published in the American Journal of Physiology questioned the old recommendation of 8 ounces of water, eight times a day. After a thorough review, researcher Heinz Valtin concluded there was inadequate evidence that healthy adults -- living in temperate climates and not engaged in rigorous activities -- need large amounts of water. For normal, healthy adults, Valtin recommended simply drinking when thirsty. And he reported that even caffeinated drinks can count toward satisfying our fluid requirements. In February 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued new recommendations that agree with Valtin's findings. The new guidelines remove the eight-glasses-a-day recommendation, and say healthy adults may use thirst to determine their fluid needs. Exceptions to this rule include anyone with a medical condition requiring fluid control; athletes; and people taking part in prolonged physical activities or whose living conditions are extreme. The IOM report did not specify requirements for water but made general fluid intake recommendations of 91 ounces (that's 11-plus cups a day) for women and 125 ounces (15-plus cups a day) for men. Remember, these guidelines are for total fluid intake, including fluid from all food and beverages. Approximately 80% of our water intake comes from drinking water and other beverages, and the other 20% comes from food. Assuming these percentages are accurate for most of us, the recommended amount of beverages, including water, would be approximately 9 cups for women and 12.5 cups for men. "
Water Picks Up Odor From Plastic Pipes
Woman dies after drinking too much water in US competition
ARTICLES:
Beware of Recreational Water Illnesses
Chapter 4 Diarrhoea and Chart 12. Diarrhoea Treatment Plan C: Treat severe dehydration quickly
Dehydration and youth sports: Curb the risk
Dehydration in Children Treatment Self-Care at Home
Dehydration: How to Recognize and Prevent Its Effects
Drinking Fluids Doesn't Cool Runners
Health Tip: Warning Signs of Dehydration
Heat Wave--Don't Be a Seasonal Statistic
Heat-Related Illnesses Home Treatment
Hot Weather Exercise "The most general dangers from heat are dehydration and overheating. Water lost through perspiring comes directly out of your bloodstream. If the water isn't replaced, you can develop heat exhaustion, — a condition marked by fatigue, dizziness, pale skin and shortness of breath. Heat exhaustion can occur in as little as 30 minutes if you're sweating heavily. … Heat stroke is a less common but even more serious danger. Heat stroke occurs when you generate so much heat that your body can no longer release it. Your body's overloaded cooling mechanism shuts down, causing body temperature to skyrocket. Heat stroke can develop in just a few minutes if you're exercising intensely, even when you're well hydrated. The usual treatment for heat stroke is putting the person in a tub of cool water. If not treated immediately, heat stroke can be fatal. Anyone who becomes disoriented or faints while exercising should be taken to a hospital. The solution: Be extremely careful when doing any intense exercise in weather over 80° Fahrenheit or 90-percent humidity. In a hot, humid climate, even a three-mile running race can boost body temperatures to dangerous levels. Keep your efforts comfortable and steady. … Helpful Tips [see article] "
Recognizing Dehydration Symptoms
The Best Change You Can Make: Drink Water
Water: How much should you drink every day?
Vomiting, Age 3 and Younger - Home Treatment
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
Body weight changes and voluntary fluid intakes of beach volleyball players during an official tournament. (J Sci Med Sport. 2007) "The athletes should be aware of the great significance of fluids and to intake greater quantities in order to prevent weight loss and at the same time loss of vital elements that would cause their performance to decline."
Caffeine, Fluid-Electrolyte Balance, Temperature Regulation, and Exercise-Heat Tolerance (Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 2007)
Clinical assessment of dehydration in older people admitted to hospital What are the strongest indicators? (Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2007)
Cold Water Immersion: The Gold Standard for Exertional Heatstroke Treatment (Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2007) "The key to maximize the chances of surviving exertional heatstroke is rapidly decreasing the elevated core body temperature. Many methods exist to cool the body, but current evidence strongly supports the use of cold water."
Drinking guidelines for exercise: What evidence is there that athletes should drink "as much as tolerable", "to replace the weight lost during exercise" or "ad libitum"? (J Sports Sci. 2007)
Evidence-based approach to lingering hydration questions. (Clin Sports Med. 2007)
Fifty-Year Study of Lung and Bladder Cancer Mortality in Chile Related to Arsenic in Drinking Water (Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2007)
Fluid needs for training and competition in athletics. (J Sports Sci. 2007)
Heat-Related Illness in Athletes. (Am J Sports Med. 2007) "The continuum of heat illness includes mild disease (heat edema, heat rash, heat cramps, heat syncope), heat exhaustion, and the most severe form, potentially life-threatening heat stroke. Heat exhaustion typically presents with dizziness, malaise, nausea, and vomiting, or excessive fatigue with accompanying mild temperature elevations. The condition can progress to heat stroke without treatment. Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat illness and is characterized by core temperature >104 degrees F with mental status changes. Recognition of an athlete with heat illness in its early stages and initiation of treatment will prevent morbidity and mortality from heat stroke. Risk factors for heat illness include dehydration, obesity, concurrent febrile illness, alcohol consumption, extremes of age, sickle cell trait, and supplement use."
Heat-related injuries resulting in hospitalisation in Australian sport. (J Sci Med Sport. 2007)
Hydration and disease. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2007) "Many diseases have multifactorial origins. There is increasing evidence that mild dehydration plays a role in the development of various morbidities. In this review, effects of hydration status on acute and chronic diseases are depicted …"
Hydration and physical performance. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2007) "Dehydration during physical activity in the heat provokes greater performance decrements than similar activity in cooler conditions, a difference thought to be due, at least in part, to greater cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain associated with heat exposure. There is little doubt that performance during prolonged, continuous exercise in the heat is impaired by levels of dehydration >or= -2% body mass, and there is some evidence that lower levels of dehydration can also impair performance even during relatively short-duration, intermittent exercise."
Hydration during exercise in warm, humid conditions: effect of a caffeinated sports drink. (Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007)
Hydration in children. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2007) "Pediatricians agree that hydration in children may be optimal only in breastfed infants. More data are required on the health effects of different hydration states and varying water intakes in particular age and gender groups to define optimal ranges of water intake. The fetus grows in an exceptionally well-hydrated environment. Water metabolism shows several peculiarities in preterm and term infants. Infant diarrhea remains a major topic of basic and clinical research. Water intoxication in infants, toddlers, and children is rare and can only be found in exceptional circumstances. Hydration status characterized by hyponatremia may play a role in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsions in toddlers."
[Hyponatraenmia during a long-distance run: due to excessive fluid intake] (Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007) "The most important risk factors for the development of hyponatraemia are: a long duration of the run, female gender, recent use of NSAIDs, lower body weight and environmental factors like high temperature and high humidity. In the presence of symptoms, rapid correction must be started by administration ofhypertonic saline, sometimes in combination with a loop diuretic in cases of eu- and hypervolaemia. Isotonic saline must be added in case of dehydration. Prevention consists primarily of advice to moderate the fluid intake."
Neuropsychological determinants of exercise tolerance in the heat. (Prog Brain Res. 2007) "In directly counteracting the effects of heat stress, the face and head is a region of high sudomotor and thermal sensitivity, and may thereby serve as an effective site for reducing perceptual and/or physiological heat strain via improvements in ventilation, airflow, or active cooling."
Pesticides in surface drinking-water supplies of the northern great plains. (Environ Health Perspect. 2007)
Role of whole foods in promoting hydration after exercise in humans. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2007) "Additional research on rehydration after exercise and heat exposure showed improved recovery of plasma volume and fluid status when food was ingested before consuming water in the two hours after exercise. Collectively, these findings point to an interaction between fluid intake and co-ingested nutrients in regulating human hydration during and after exercise."
[Severe hyponatremia, pulmonary and cerebral edema in an ironman triathlete] (Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS: Ultra-endurance exercise can lead to severe hyponatremia, pulmonary and cerebral edema. This is caused mainly by fluid overload due to excesssive drinking and a release of ADH induced by hypovolemia and stress which impairs the excretion of free water. Hence a moderate fluid intake during and after endurance exercise is very important."
The hydration ability of three commercially available sports drinks and water " … it may be speculated that, compared to water, the sports drinks studied in this paper did not hydrate the body at a faster rate."
The Importance of Salt in the Athlete's Diet. (Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007)
The incidence of heat casualties in sprint triathlon: The tale of two Melbourne race events. (J Sci Med Sport. 2007) "These observations suggest that the risk of heat-related collapse is greatest when high-environmental temperatures occur early in the competitive season when participants may be inadequately prepared and have not yet acquired natural acclimatisation to heat. Any Triathlon Australia policy revision could place stronger emphasis on the use of ambient temperature as a limiting criterion for race organisers."
Thermoregulation during Exercise in the Heat : Strategies for Maintaining Health and Performance. (Sports Med. 2007) "Fortunately, there are a number of strategies that athletes can use to prevent and/or reduce the dangers that are associated with exercise in the heat. In this regard, heat acclimatisation and nutritional intervention seem to be most effective. During heat acclimatisation, the temperature thresholds for both cutaneous vasodilation and the onset of sweating are lowered, which, in combination with plasma volume expansion, improve cardiovascular stability. Effective nutritional interventions include the optimisation of hydration status by the use of fluid replacement beverages. The latter should contain moderate amounts of glucose and sodium, which improve both water absorption and retention."
Urine specific gravity and other urinary indices: inaccurate tests for dehydration. (Pediatr Emerg Care. 2007)
Water content and other aspects of brittle versus normal fingernails. (J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in water content of brittle compared with normal nails."
Water: a neglected nutrient in the young child? A South African perspective. (Matern Child Nutr. 2007)
Waterborne transmission of protozoan parasites: a worldwide review of outbreaks and lessons learnt. (J Water Health. 2007)
Web-based investigation of water associated illness in marine bathers. (Environ Res. 2007) "Illness complaints were commonly received in summer from heavily used California beaches. A strong correlation was observed between water quality impairment and the number of illness complaints in coastal counties (r=0.96, p<0.01). Respondents most commonly complained of gastrointestinal symptoms, infections of the sinuses and other upper respiratory ailments. Certain severe symptoms, such as high fevers, severe vomiting and/or diarrhea, seizures, swollen glands, and infections that did not heal properly were also reported. Approximately one-third of respondents sought the care of a physician for their symptoms; however, less than 1% reported being hospitalized."
Go to the top