Friday, March 16, 2012

First Aid Friday: Dehydration



Dehydration:
Dehydration symptoms:  fatigue, lack of coordination/judgement, sunken eyes, dry mouth, fast pulse, skin not springy, little or no urine, intense thirst, uncontrolled bowel movements, irritability.
Severe dehydration can cause kidney damage.
To conserve body fluids:  reserve energy for cooler temps, do things slower.  Store water in stomach not canteen.  Eating uses body’s water reserve.
To treat dehydration:  1 L purified water, 2 T sugar, 1/2 t salt, mix and give person small sips of this solution every 5 minutes (even if vomits), can flavor with fruit juice.  Also:  can drink green coconut water, thin veggie soup, or the water that rice or barley has been cooked in.  Go to the doctor for severe dehydration!
Information from:  Basic Self-Reliance, 1989, p109-110

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