Friedman Group
  • About Us
    • Careers
    • Privacy
  • Services
    • Business
    • Employee Benefits >
      • Share To Compare
    • Financial Services
    • Personal
    • Specialty Insurance
  • AP Blog
  • Pay Online
  • Contact
  • About Us
    • Careers
    • Privacy
  • Services
    • Business
    • Employee Benefits >
      • Share To Compare
    • Financial Services
    • Personal
    • Specialty Insurance
  • AP Blog
  • Pay Online
  • Contact

Welcome to The Friedman Blog

Preventing dehydration

8/13/2018

 
​Dehydration may seem like a minor ailment, but it can be quite dangerous. In fact, most heat illnesses are caused by dehydration. Did you know that by the time a person is thirsty, he or she is already 2 to 3 percent dehydrated? Once this occurs, it's difficult to make up for the lost hydration. 
Get the Facts

In the simplest of terms, dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you take in and your body does not have enough water to carry out its normal functions. What's more, even mild dehydration - as little as 1 to 2 percent loss of body weight - can cause symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, and fatigue, and many have an adverse effect on long-term health.

Water Loss

On average, adults lose about 2.5 liters (more than 10 cups) of water a day by merely doing everyday tasks such as sweating, breathing, and going to the bathroom. Also lost are electrolytes - minerals such as sodium, potassium, and calcium - that maintain the balance of fluids in your body.

A person can sweat about a liter an hour doing heavy work. Most workers exposed to hot conditions drink less fluid than needed because their thirst response is insufficient and lags behind the actual level of dehydration.

Symptoms

Mild to moderate dehydration is likely to cause the following symptoms:
  • Excessive thirst
  • Sleepiness
  • Dry mouth
  • Few or no tears when crying
  • Muscle weakness
  • Headache
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness

Symptoms that require emergency care include:
  • Altered behavior, such as severe anxiety, confusion, or not being able to stay awake
  • Faintness that is relieved by lying down, or lightheadedness that continues after standing for two minutes.
  • Weak, rapid pulse
  • Cold, clammy skin or hot, dry skin
  • Little or no urination
  • Loss of consciousness

Prevent Dehydration

Preventing dehydration sounds easy enough: consume plenty of fluids and foods high in water content, like fruits and vegetables. Determining your appropriate water intake is not an exact science, as much as depends on age, physical condition, activity level, environment, and individual physiology. To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, Friedman's risk management team offers these reminders:
  • Instead of depending on thirst, workers should drink cool water, 5 to 7 ounces, every 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. Sports drinks are also good rehydration choices.
  • Do not consume caffeinated beverages, such as coffee and soda. They increase urine output and make you dehydrate faster.
  • Do not drink alcoholic beverages. They only increase dehydration and make it difficult to make good decisions.
  • Stop working outdoors or in the heat at the first sign of dizziness, lightheadedness, or fatigue.
  • Wear one layer of light-weight, light-colored clothing when you are working or exercising outdoors. Replace sweat-saturated clothing with dry clothing as soon as you can.
  • Drink before, during, and after physical labor to replace body fluid lost through perspiration.
  • Anticipate conditions that will increase the need for water, including high-temperature, humidity, wearing of protective clothing, and difficulty of work.

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Compliance
    COVID 19
    Cyber
    Employee Benefits
    Personal Insurance
    Property Casualty
    Risk Management
    Wellness
    Workers Compensation

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018

The Friedman Group
501 Bell St.
Dubuque, IA 52001
Phone: (563) 556-0272
Home
Business Insurance
Employee Benefits
Personal Insurance
Financial Services
Contact

AssuredPartners
An AssuredPartners Agency
In February 2020, The Friedman Group joined AssuredPartners, the 11th largest insurance brokerage in the U.S. This partnership provides us access to additional capital and a national footprint that enables us to continue to negotiate the most favorable coverage terms and conditions for our clients, and allows us to provide an even broader spectrum of risk management support services. ​
© 2022 The Friedman Group, Inc.  Privacy Policy.