If you watch football games during August and September, you'll likely see a player hobble off the field because of a muscle cramp.
While muscle cramps aren't serious, per se, heatstroke — which falls on the other end of the heat-related emergency spectrum — is. Heatstroke kills about half of all those who experience the condition.
One of the main prevention measures against heat-related illnesses is to drink fluids, especially during exercise. Most people drink less fluid than they should, especially during physical activity. In fact, most Americans tend to be dehydrated. Severe dehydration can be life-threatening, and even a small degree of dehydration can lead to diminished alertness and physical capabilities.
When dogs and cats become dehydrated during activity in hot weather and are given the opportunity to drink water, they will usually drink back all of the water they have lost and then stop drinking. The drinking behavior of humans seems much more complicated. In fact, during exercise, many athletes seem to avoid drinking.
Why don't we drink enough fluids? For one thing, water or other fluids may not be readily available. Moreover, as soon as the first sips of water or other drink moisten our mouths, nerves in the mouth send signals to the brain to reduce our sense of thirst — so we think we've drank enough, which is not really the case. Also, large volumes of fluids in the stomach can lead to discomfort, especially during physical activities (e.g., running, playing basketball, manual labor).
Here are ideas for improving fluid intake:
Drink smaller volumes more frequently to minimize stomach discomfort.
Use an alarm wristwatch or some other method to remind you when it's time to take a drink.
Never pass a water drinking fountain without taking several sips of water.
Find a beverage container you like, fill it up and drink a predetermined amount during a certain period of time. For example, I have a colleague who fills a water bottle when he first arrives at work and sets a goal of drinking two bottlefuls before noon and two more before going home at the end of the day.
Choose a beverage that tastes good, contains small amount of sodium chloride (salt), and contains some carbohydrate. The carbohydrate helps physical activity, and the sodium minimizes dehydration and maintains body sodium balance especially during physical activity when sweating occurs. Most commercial sports drinks fit these criteria, but they can be expensive, and some may provide too much salt for those who aren't physically active.
Alton Thygerson, professor of health sciences at Brigham Young University, is the National Safety Council's first aid and CPR author and technical consultant. For more information, the National Safety council First Aid Handbook by Thygerson is available in local bookstores.