Cold Sweats and Night Sweats

Causes of cold sweats and night sweats

The human body normally produces sweat as a way to help keep cool. Sweating normally occurs with exertion such as when exercising or in high temperatures. However, there are other reasons for sweating.

Sweating can be triggered by fear or anxiety, and this is often referred to as a cold sweat. It comes on suddenly and results in cool, damp skin. It is the body's reaction to stress as part of the "fight or flight" response that helps us to react in a dangerous situation. A nightmare during sleep can trigger a cold sweat, and people with prolonged stress or anxiety problems can experience sweating as a symptom.

Cold sweat

A cold sweat is not a medical problem, but it can be a symptom of a serious condition that needs medical attention including:

• A severe injury that is causing pain
• Shock
• Heart attack
• Shortness of breath
• Too little sugar in the bloodstream

Excessive sweating can also be a symptom of many other disorders, whether a cold sweat or if it occurs during sleep as a night sweat. Doctors often hear their patients complain of night sweats. Night sweats refer to any excess sweating occurring during the night. However, if your bedroom is unusually hot or you are using too many bedclothes, you may begin to sweat during sleep - and this is normal. In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment.

Causes of excessive sweating

There are many different causes of excessive sweating. To determine what is causing excessive sweating in a particular individual, a doctor must obtain a detailed medical history and arrange tests to decide if an underlying medical condition is responsible for the sweating. Some of the known conditions that can cause excessive sweating are:

Menopause - The hot flushes that accompany the menopausal transition can occur at night or day and cause sweating. This is a very common cause of night sweats in women around the time of menopause.

Idiopathic hyperhidrosis - Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a condition in which the body chronically produces too much sweat without any identifiable medical cause.

Infections - Classically, tuberculosis is the infection most commonly associated with night sweats. However, bacterial infections, such as endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves), osteomyelitis (inflammation within the bones) and abscesses all may result in night sweats. Night sweats are also a symptom of HIV infection.

Cancers - Night sweats are an early symptom of some cancers. The most common type of cancer associated with night sweats is lymphoma. However, people who have an undiagnosed cancer frequently have other symptoms as well, such as unexplained weight loss and fevers.

Medication - Taking certain medication can lead to night sweats. In cases without other physical symptoms or signs of tumour or infection, medicinal side effects are often determined to be the cause of night sweats. Antidepressant medications are a common type of medicine that can lead to night sweats. Other mental health medications have also been associated with night sweats.

Medications taken to lower fever such as aspirin and paracetamol can sometimes lead to sweating. Other types of medications can cause flushing, which, as mentioned above, may be confused with night sweats. Some of the many medications that can cause flushing include:

• Niacin (taken in the higher doses used for lipid disorders)
• Tamoxifen
• Hydralazine
• Nitroglycerine
• Sildenafil

Many other medications not mentioned above including cortisone medications such as prednisolone may also be associated with flushing or night sweats.

 

Hypoglycaemia - Low blood sugar can cause sweating. People who are taking insulin or oral anti-diabetic medication may experience hypoglycaemia at night that is accompanied by sweating.

Hormone disorders - Sweating or flushing can be seen with several hormone disorders including phaeochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome and hyperthyroidism.

Neurological conditions - Uncommonly, neurologic conditions including autonomic dysreflexia, post-traumatic syringomyelia, stroke and autonomic neuropathy may cause increased sweating and possibly lead to night sweats.

Sweating too much? Here's some relief
Excessive sweating in women: Tips to stay dry:

1.Limit spicy foods and caffeine

If you experience excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, you're one of the 2-3% of people who sweat up to 10 times more than people without the condition. It can help to keep a symptom diary, including foods and drinks consumed, to identify the things that make you sweat heavily. Then avoid the sweating triggers you've identified. Common ones include alcohol and spicy food, such as curries or hot peppers.

2.Bathe with care

When bacteria mix with sweat, they cause odour. Bathe or shower daily, but not with products based on soap, which can make things worse. The Hyperhidrosis UK support group recommends using a special emollient wash available from pharmacies. Dry off completely, since bacteria and germs thrive in dampness.

3.Manage hot flushes and night sweats

If menopause causes hot flushes or night sweats, many remedies are available. Apply a cool, wet flannel to your skin or drink iced water for relief. Prescription medications and hormone therapy may also relieve hot flushes.  Some women try complementary therapies, but evidence is lacking for many of these. Seek medical advice if hot flushes are causing problems, and before trying a supplement or herbal remedy.

4.Choose the right clothes
Loose-fitting clothes and natural fabrics like cotton let air circulate around your skin, which slows the build-up of moisture. When you exercise, wear fabrics and socks that pull moisture away from your skin. Consider absorbent under layers like t-shirts. Keep an extra shirt or jacket handy in case your sweating becomes excessive. Black or white clothes are less likely to show sweat marks.



5. Reduce Stress
Stress can cause sweating, and excessive perspiration can make you stressed and anxious. Try to break this vicious circle with relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing and biofeedback. Yoga classes, guided imagery, or just some more me-time may help. If stress is a problem, seek medical advice. A talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may help.

6. Find the right antiperspirant

Aluminium chloride based antiperspirants can help reduce excessive sweating, in over-the-counter or prescription forms. These antiperspirants work by blocking sweat gland ducts. For mild symptoms, products are available in shops. Apply a thin layer of antiperspirant to towel-dried skin before bed. The active ingredients work while you sleep, then it is washed-off in the morning. Deodorants reduce odour, but don't help with wetness.
 

7. Care for your feet

If sweaty feet are a problem, avoid tights. Wear socks made from cotton or materials that wick moisture from the skin, and change your socks often. Make sure shoes are completely dry before you wear them again. This may mean not wearing the same shoes 2 days in a row. Absorbent insoles may also be helpful. Go barefoot, if you can safely. Antiperspirants aren't just for underarms. You can use them on your feet and hands, too.

8. Keep your cool
Lower temperatures at home and at work can help reduce sweating. Try a fan or air conditioner, or open the windows to keep air moving. Drink plenty of cold water and take cool showers or baths. Dress in layered clothing so you can remove or add layers as the temperature changes. In summer, stay out of the sun and avoid strenuous activities in the hotter parts of the day.

9. Stay healthy
Obesity, smoking and drinking alcohol can cause or intensify heavy sweating. So aim for a healthy weight, quit smoking and limit alcohol. Not only will you reduce sweating, but you'll also feel better and reduce your risk of many health conditions.

10. Protect your skin and clothes
Wet skin folds are prone to irritant dermatitis and infection. Consider underarm disposable sweat pads to absorb sweat and protect your clothing. Change your clothes daily and wash them regularly. Dry clothes thoroughly before wearing them again.

11. If excessive sweating causes problems in your life, and self-help tips haven't helped, talk to your GP about other treatments. A referral to a dermatologist may be recommended. Treatments for excessive sweating include Botulinum toxin injections (Botox) to block nerve signals from the brain to sweat glands, low-level electrical current treatment called iontophoresis, and some medications and surgical procedures can help reduce heavy sweating. If heavy sweating is accompanied by other symptoms like fever, unplanned weight loss, chest pain or a rapid heartbeat, seek urgent medical advice. It may be a sign of an untreated medical condition.

Human Health Preservation. (About the Importance of Salt)

About the Importance of Salt

We get too much salt in our foods today.

Too much salt will cause high blood pressure, water retention (swelling), kidney problems, heart problems and the list goes on.

We are told a low-salt or salt-free diet is best for good health.

2000 years ago salt was used as money. Gold and salt had the same value. The word salary comes from salt.

In the old days, salt was used to preserve foods. Today, we have refrigeration, so less salt is required except for maybe curing meats.

All warm blooded animals must have salt to live.

The human brain and spine is in a sac of salt water called CSF (cerebrospinal fluid). This liquid circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord.

We all spent approx 9 months in our mothers belly floating in salt water (amniotic fluid).

Our tears are salty and we sweat salt.

Our bones are hollow in the center (marrow) where blood cells are made. The marrow is covered with many strands of calcium salts, the way rope is woven together. Salt crystals are woven in with the calcium and these salt crystals are what make our bones hard, not the calcium.

27% of the body’s salt content is located in the bones. When the body requires more salt it can borrow it from the bones. When this happens, calcium is also removed with the salt making the bones thinner, softer and brittle.

Salt is made up of sodium and chlorine. Together they are called Sodium chloride (Na Cl).

Sodium is a soft positive charged metal where chlorine is a negative charged gas that becomes a liquid when put under pressure.

Chlorine is a gas/liquid but somehow when the earth was formed the chlorine became a solid with the sodium and trace minerals.

You can crush the salt crystals into a powder and the chlorine stays with the sodium. Chlorine as a solid is called chloride.

The salt we use today comes from our oceans, lakes or salt mines. In addition to sodium and chlorine, all the salt on planet earth comes with many trace minerals mixed into it.

So we can assume that these trace minerals are very important or they would not be combined with the salt. Because of the commercial value of these minerals they are removed in order to make big profits.

The human body is able to split the chlorine from the sodium as needed. Our blood requires chlorine as do many of our organs. The stomach uses chlorine to make hydrochloric acid required so we can digest our food correctly.

Our body also uses the sodium chloride as salt to keep the brain, spine, tears, bones, sweat glands, organs and blood topped off with salt. The body benefits from the other trace minerals that help keep the body alkaline and healthy.

Just as drinking too much plain water can kill a person (hyponatremia). The same thing is true with taking too much salt, it can cause swelling, diarrhea, and death.

Table salt is purified by removing the trace minerals and heating the salt to 1200 degree Fahrenheit. Now all you have is 40% sodium and 60% chloride then an anti-caking agent is added so it won’t stick together.

Too much sodium can happen from eating too many food additives containing sodium as a binder (sort of a glue). Sodium is not salt. Salt is sodium chloride.

Sodium bicarbonate, sodium benzoate and MSG (mono sodium glutamate) are just a few of these additives.

Sodium, potassium and chloride are electrolytes (special minerals) that dissolve in water and carry electrical charges anywhere there is water in the body.

These electrically charged minerals can freely move into a cell and back out again carrying nutrients in and removing waste products and excess water as to keep the cell balanced.

At the same time as these electrolytes move in and out of the cells making their exchanges, a delicate balance of potassium inside the cell must be maintained with a special amount of sodium and chloride to hold the potassium in the center of the cell.

Electrolytes are found in all fluids of the body and carry impulses along your nerves. This helps your muscles, like the heart and diaphragm, contract and relax.

Electrolytes carry glucose (blood sugar) into the cell after insulin opens the door or gate for the sugar to be taken in.

Electrolytes also turn “cation pumps” that generate electricity which is stored in the Mg ATP and Mg GTP batteries of the body.

If a person loses too many of these electrolytes from having diarrhea or from taking a water pill (diuretic) they can become very sick and must go to the hospital and receive IVs of saline (salt water), dextrose (sugar water) and minerals.

Many of our beverages today contain caffeine that is a diuretic, acting as a water pill, causing a water shortage in the body. Nothing replaces plain water according to Dr Batman.

Scientists and doctors still don’t know how salt dissolves in water or how it can keep getting saltier and saltier. Scientists and chemists have some theories but can’t prove any of them.

*What salt does for you*

Salt has many other functions than just regulating the water content of the body.

Here are some of its additional important functions in the body according to Dr. Batman in his book, ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus on pages 144-150:

* Salt is a powerful natural antihistamine. The next time you get a runny nose or watery eyes from allergies, try drinking a glass of plain water, then put a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and let it dissolve.

* Asthma symptoms can be relieved by drinking one or two glasses of plain water, then putting a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and let it dissolve. Try it next time… before using your inhaler.

* Salt helps relieve “stress” symptoms.

* Salt is important for the removal of acidity from your brain cells.

* Kidneys will not work correctly without salt.

* Depression and emotional problems are greatly relieved by taking more salt, drinking plain water, eating correctly and walking.

* Bladder control problems and unintentional urine leakage could be helped by adding more salt into your diet.

* Diabetics can bring down their blood sugar levels and reduce their need for insulin by taking salt.

* Irregular heartbeats may be stopped by putting a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and letting it dissolve.

* Our digestive system requires salt to properly absorb the food we eat.

* Asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis suffers can get rid of mucus and phlegm in the lungs by using salt and drinking plain water.

* Gout symptoms can be prevented by using salt.

* If you get muscle cramps (Charlie horses, etc.), salt may relieve them. Try putting a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and let it dissolve.

* Bones get their hardness from salt, not calcium.

* Osteoporosis is mainly caused by not taking enough salt and water everyday

* Salt is essential for preventing varicose and spider veins on the legs.

* Are you having problems maintaining an erection, you need to eat more salt and drink more plain water.

* Salt may help reduce a double chin. The salivary glands in your mouth sense your body is low on salt and produce more saliva. Over time, this increased production of saliva causes the saliva glands to “leak” in the area under your chin. One possible way to get rid of a double chin.

* Taking salt and drinking plain water before exercising will help you to breathe better and sweat less.

Because there is potassium in almost everything we eat, salt needs to be added to our food. This will allow our body to maintain the proper balance of water between the inside and outside oceans of water in our cells.

In a study of almost 3,000 men that had high blood pressure, the men on a low-salt diet had a 430% increase in heart attacks when compared to the men who ate a high-salt diet.^1

Low-salt diets have also been shown to increase total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and fasting insulin levels. ^2,3

*Question to think about:*

It has been over thirty years since we were first told to eat a low salt diet in order to avoid having high blood pressure. Why then, do more Americans have high blood pressure today than they did thirty years ago?

*Why do you get High Blood Pressure on a low-salt diet?*

* Our blood is 94% water * Our brain is 85% water * Our soft tissue is 75% water

Dr Batman says water, salt and potassium together regulate the water content of the body.

Basically, every cell in our body has an /ocean of fresh water/ inside the cell and an /ocean of salt water/ outside the cell. Good health depends on a most delicate balance of the water between these two oceans.

Salt forces water to stay in the outside /ocean of water/ of the cell (osmotic retention) and potassium holds water in the inside /ocean of water/ of the cell.

When the body is low on water (you are not drinking enough) it will increase the volume of salty water in the outside ocean of the cell.

Through a special mechanism, a hormone (vasopressin) is released that can filter out the salt from the outside ocean and inject some fresh water into the center ocean as needed to maintain the delicate balance.

For this method to work, the capillaries (blood vessels) must constrict by the use of vasopressin. This causes the capillaries to /tighten up,/giving you high blood pressure, which is necessary in order to filter and inject water from the outside ocean of water into the inside ocean of water.

One cause of high blood pressure is a lack of fresh water for the inside ocean of the cell according to Dr Batman. We call it hypertension.

Dr Batman says if a person will walk (exercise), drink more plain water (in the place of coffee, tea, soda) and add just a little more salt (not sodium) to their diet, their blood pressure will normalize again.

*How much salt should you take?*

Dr Batman suggests we use…

* *1/8 tsp* (3/4 g) *of salt* (unrefined sea salt is best) *for every 16 oz *(half a liter) *of water we drink*… ½ tsp of salt for every half a gallon of water and a full tsp of salt for one gallon of water.

*Note:* If a person is not going to the bathroom at least three times per day, they should check with their doctor first before drinking more water and using more salt.

Your kidneys must be working properly. This means…the amount of liquid you drink should be almost equal to the amount of urine you are eliminating every day.

At the same time, going to the bathroom to frequently (to many trips) per day will pull very important vitamins, minerals and electrolytes out of your body and can cause more harm than good.

Salt can be very harmful to the human body… /_if the proper amount of plain water is not taken with it_/ to keep the proper balance of electrolytes.

You should be very careful when adding more plain water to your diet. Add it very slowly so that the water will not act as a diuretic causing you to lose your electrolytes and become ill (dehydrated).

The body must adjust to drinking plain water after drinking coffee, tea and soda containing caffeine, because they contain caffeine or other chemicals that cause the body to work in a different mode.

Just like you have to keep filling up the gas tank in a car or it stop’s running, the body works the same way. You must drink water at regular intervals throughout the day because our body does not have a “gas tank” to draw from.

When you drink plain water the body uses what it needs right away and what it doesn’t need goes to the kidneys and out of the body.

If a person has some swelling (edema) that is not from an injury or surgery and wants to get rid of it, Dr B says water can be used as a /natural diuretic/ providing their kidneys and heart are working ok.

When we drink enough water to pass clear urine, we also pass out a lot of the salt that was held in the body.

*There are four suggested ways to take the salt* **

1. The first way is to just coat the front part of your tongue with the salt, making sure that you taste the salt, and then drink the water over the salt, washing it down.

2. You could also just put the extra salt on your food. The only problem with that is acquiring a taste for very salty food.

3. If you are very salt-sensitive then you would get some empty capsules and put the amount of salt you require into the capsules and take it with food.

4. Mixing salt into the water for drinking is not a very good idea. Only young children and seniors that are having trouble remembering things should mix 1/8 tsp of salt into 16 oz of plain water and drink their water this way until they start remembering things again.

*Another medical doctor’s point of view*

Dr David Brownstein, in his book “Salt your way to health”, said he was taught in medical school that salt causes high blood pressure and everybody should be on a low-salt diet. While treating his patients, he started to notice the ones who had high blood pressure received very little benefit from a low-salt diet. Most of them were also low on minerals.

In his search for ways to help these patients he came across unrefined salt. By suggesting that his patients should use unrefined salt, which has over 80 trace minerals in it, he noticed something strange start to happen.

His patients with high blood pressure were finding that their blood pressure was actually coming down. To the point they could come off of their medications.

Dr Brownstein, MD has a current medical practice at Center for Holistic Medicine, West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (www.drbrownstein.com). Dr Brownstein’s book, “Salt your way to health” will show you how adding the right kind of salt to your diet can help: adrenal disorders, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, fatigue, headaches, immune system function and thyroid disorders.

Listen to this audio file:Sea Salt Cures 5-22-13 15 Sec.(CLICK HERE)

Treating Colds With a Dose Of Salt Water. (Click Here)

You can read this article on Salt Craziness ***(Read on after Notes below)

Notes:

1 – Alderman, M. Low urinary sodium is associated with greater risk of myocardial infarction among treated hypertensive men. Hypertension. 1995;25:1144-1152

2 – Ruppert, M. et al. Short term dietary sodium restriction increases serum lipids and insulin in Salt-sensitive and salt resistant normotensive adults. Klin Wochenschr. 1991;69:(suppl. XXV):51-57)

3 – Am. J. of Hypertension. 1991;4:410-415

*** Salt Craziness: In the middle ages, executions were often conducted by putting people in cells and depriving them of salt, a slow, agonizing death, Now we put people on salt free diets and do the same thing out of ignorance. I can't tell you how many people I see who tell me that their lives are a wreck and they do everything right. As soon as I hear that, I know they don't use salt. As soon as they resume salt, they start getting well. 

Our ignorance is beyond belief. At this very moment in local prisons, they don't allow salt because it can be used as a weapon. Prisons themselves are monuments to ignorance as if unkind people can be punished into kindness by treating them unkindly. Of course that is a very profitable and stupid way to do things as it continues to make this high profit problem more profitable. The fact that we have four times as many people in prison today as 20 years ago doesn't give us a clue that we may can't prevent any high profit problem, never mind an obvious salt deficiency which causes countless high profit emotional and very serious health problems. Read the book "Salt Your Way to Health" by David Brownstein, MD a doctor who unwittingly once told his patients "No Salt" because the powers that be told him to do so and continues to infect medical students with that same "No Salt" thinking. If you stop at Cee-Kay Auto we'll lend his book so you can learn why the doctor changed his mind. 

How do you feel about the fact that your kids have a far better chance of going to prison than kids in most other nations, especially every highly industrialized nation? Likewise to be disabled and live shorter lives. But so what, if it makes a lot of money. Drug problems are recognized as the #1 cause of all this and our answer is to build more prisons, that's like our big sickness problem requires us to build more hospitals and medical schools. The rule here is that don't eliminate problems, make money on them. 

The reality is that money and power addictions are infinitely worse than all of our problems put together. In fact if we valued people more than money & power 99% of our problems would have no reason to exist. Worse yet, the most money-power addicted people are those who have the most of both and the more we gets, the more we want. So what do we do to help these people get rid of their addiction? Nothing!! We blame each other, especially the people who have been victimized by our aforementioned corporate and Legislative "Dumbness." Of course, God did say in 1 Corinthians 19-21 that He'd make the wise foolish if we didn't listen to Him. But what does He know, we just kicked Him out and we got more and more foolish; really "Dumb. Dumber and Dumberer." 

Maybe our leadership should accompany the "Scarecrow" to Oz and see if they can find a brain, forget about doing more research to find some idiotic drug to cure obvious deficiency caused problems, the #1 deficiency being kindness. 

Talk about a kindness deficiency, I can't even get the leadership of the Wilkes-Barre school District to talk to me about our "Kindness Grant" program so we can give them to schools in their district that want them. All calls have been ignored. What could be more unkind than this??? I'm not blaming them. I'm trying to get people to realize that our problems aren't unsolvable. They only become that way wand will stay that way till we eliminate our financial agendas when a lot of money can be made by keeping problems unsolvable and incurable. 

I believe that the worst of all terrorism is the one we inflict upon ourselves. If we can't solve these kindness deficiency caused problems then what makes us think that we can solve the kindness-deficiency caused problems of the rest of the world, especially when we don't have a clue that is what is causing them. Both sides think we can bomb each other into kindness. We have 20/20 vision in seeing the foolishness of every other nation, but deaf, dumb and blind in seeing our own. Sounds like the blindness of our two party system. Maybe we'd really learn the truth about both sides if we just pay attention to what the other side says, because we certainly can't pay much attention to what any side says about themselves. When was the last time we caught either side in a truth with a campaign promise?

Critical Salt Information

Critical Salt Information

Low-Salt Diet Ineffective, Study Finds. Disagreement Abounds.
By Gina Kolata

If for some reason you are skeptical, Search New York Times Salt We Misjudged You.

A new study found that low-salt diets increase the risk of death from heart attacks and strokes and do not prevent high blood pressure, but the research’s limitations mean the debate over the effects of salt in the diet is far from over.
Elena Elisseeva

Health Guide: High Blood Pressure

In fact, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention felt so strongly that the study was flawed that they criticized it in an interview, something they normally do not do.

Dr. Peter Briss, a medical director at the centers, said that the study was small; that its subjects were relatively young, with an average age of 40 at the start; and that with few cardiovascular events, it was hard to draw conclusions. And the study, Dr. Briss and others say, flies in the face of a body of evidence indicating that higher sodium consumption can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“At the moment, this study might need to be taken with a grain of salt,” he said.

The study is published in the May 4 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. It involved only those without high blood pressure at the start, was observational, considered at best suggestive and not conclusive. It included 3,681 middle-aged Europeans who did not have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease and followed them for an average of 7.9 years.

The researchers assessed the participants’ sodium consumption at the study’s start and at its conclusion by measuring the amount of sodium excreted in urine over a 24-hour period. All the sodium that is consumed is excreted in urine within a day, so this method is the most precise way to determine sodium consumption.

The investigators found that the less salt people ate, the more likely they were to die of heart disease — 50 people in the lowest third of salt consumption (2.5 grams of sodium per day) died during the study as compared with 24 in the medium group (3.9 grams of sodium per day) and 10 in the highest salt consumption group (6.0 grams of sodium per day). And while those eating the most salt had, on average, a slight increase in systolic blood pressure — a 1.71-millimeter increase in pressure for each 2.5-gram increase in sodium per day — they were no more likely to develop hypertension.

“If the goal is to prevent hypertension” with lower sodium consumption, said the lead author, Dr. Jan A. Staessen, a professor of medicine at the University of Leuven, in Belgium, “this study shows it does not work.”

But among the study’s other problems, Dr. Briss said, its subjects who seemed to consume the smallest amount of sodium also provided less urine than those consuming more, an indication that they might not have collected all of their urine in an 24-hour period.

Dr. Frank Sacks of the Harvard School of Public Health agreed and also said the study was flawed.

“It’s a problematic study,” Dr. Sacks said. “We shouldn’t be guiding any kind of public health decisions on it.”

Dr. Michael Alderman, a blood pressure researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and editor of the American Journal of Hypertension, said medical literature on salt and health effects was inconsistent. But, Dr. Alderman said, the new study is not the only one to find adverse effects of low-sodium diets. His own study, with people who had high blood pressure, found that those who ate the least salt were most likely to die.

Dr. Alderman said that he once was an unpaid consultant for the Salt Institute but that he now did no consulting for it or for the food industry and did not receive any support or take any money from industry groups.

Lowering salt consumption, Dr. Alderman said, has consequences beyond blood pressure. It also, for example, increases insulin resistance, which can increase the risk of heart disease.

“Diet is a complicated business,” he said. “There are going to be unintended consequences.”

One problem with the salt debates, Dr. Alderman said, is that all the studies are inadequate. Either they are short-term intervention studies in which people are given huge amounts of salt and then deprived of salt to see effects on blood pressure or they are studies, like this one, that observe populations and ask if those who happen to consume less salt are healthier.

“Observational studies tell you what people will experience if they select a diet,” Dr. Alderman said. “They do not tell you what will happen if you change peoples’ sodium intake.”

What is needed, Dr. Alderman said, is a large study in which people are randomly assigned to follow a low-sodium diet or not and followed for years to see if eating less salt improves health and reduces the death rate from cardiovascular disease.

But that study, others say, will never happen.

“This is one of those really interesting situations,” said Dr. Lawrence Appel, a professor of medicine, epidemiology and international health at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. “You can say, ‘O.K., let’s dismiss the observational studies because they have all these problems.’ ” But, he said, despite the virtues of a randomized controlled clinical trial, such a study “will never ever be done.” It would be impossible to keep people on a low-sodium diet for years with so much sodium added to prepared foods.

Dr. Briss adds that it would not be prudent to defer public health actions while researchers wait for results of a clinical trial that might not even be feasible.

Dr. Alderman disagrees.

“The low-salt advocates suggest that all 300 million Americans be subjected to a low-salt diet. But if they can’t get people on a low-salt diet for a clinical trial, what are they talking about?”

Video Information:Dr. Carolyn Mein shows you how muscle testing can be used to find the appropriate salt for your diet. She indicates her testing points, showing where salt can weaken your energy field. Dr. Mein is dedicated to implementing the safest, most direct approach to long-term health and well-being. She maintains an active practice in Rancho Santa Fe, California. (Click to Watch Video)

Ted's Remedies... This is on earthclinic.com

08/05/2005: Ted from Bangkok, Thailand writes: "I am surprised you are not aware of the amazing sea salt! In Thailand I use Thai sea salt. So any local sea salt would do. But based on the Thai sea salt I used here, it is a very effective antibiotic!

Sea salt is the world's oldest antibiotic known to man. Somewhere along the way, history books have forgotten this great medicine that bacteria and viruses offered absolutely no resistance to it whatsoever. It is the simplest medicine I have ever known. For those people who want an even more powerful medicine, just add one whole lemon juice to sea salt and its antibiotic and antiviral capabilities is extended many times. For me in practice, just sea salt works wonders. No you don't need Himalyan sea salt, or Dead sea salt, for me local Thai sea salt works amazingly well anyway. Of course, I did not get a chance to try other sea salt, but I am certain thai sea salt works better than any antibiotics I am aware of, well at least for common ailments we experience everyday.

Sea salt does not raise blood pressure that much. What raises your blood pressure is usually the common salt you buy from supermarket. Cooked hot dogs with additives raises your blood pressure. Eating salted potato chips raises your blood pressure. Eating sugar PLUS salt raises your blood pressure. In fact I read a research which tested the effect of blood pressure on just sea salt alone - negligible increases. Apparently sodium gets the blame but in fact other additives were responsible for the sodium retention and absorption. For example, salt and monosodium glutamate taken together, and wow my blood pressure went skyrocketing. Eating french fries especially salted one skyrockets too, apparently it might be the cancer causing acrylamide when vegetable oils is heated at high temperatures and interferes with liver function.

Let me tell you briefly how well sea salt has worked. Benjamin Franklin mentioned in his bibliography that when he has a cold, he went to the sea and drank the water. The water was full of salt, so he was cured the next day. Yes, sea salt has antiviral properties.

Not convincing enough? Well some time ago, I KNOW colloidal silver works against urinary tract infections. Of course they are mild and takes weeks or days to cure using colloidal silver. But wow, last month I HAD a terrible urinary tract infection that lasted weeks. It was done on purpose as I was aware of sea salt effect. So I saved the best for the last and through using the process of elimination after trying antibiotics from A-Z, nothing worked, even the well-known erythromycin, ciproflaxin, and related antibiotics. Then I finally tested 2 teaspoons of sea salt and the pain subsided within minutes. Just one dose, seems to have a long term killing effect and it was completely gone without even the slightest pain within 7 days. Coincidence? My sister on 4 August 2005 had a stomach disorder AND urinary tract infection and she was on her second day. Again we tried all the usual antibiotics, and even some thai herbal medicine nothing worked. So I told my sister, if you want to go to work today you take sea salt or you do what mother tells you and go to the hospital, it is getting serious. So she decided to take 2 teaspoon of sea salt. Within 30 minutes the pain subsided greatly. Within 1.5 hours, my sister went to work.

Now colloidal silver has a competitor that works better: sea salt. In practice, synergism is the day. Mixing sea salt and colloidal silver works better too. Many people with lyme disease, lupus, stomach disorders, fibromyalgia, ec. told me their conditions were relieved just by taking sea salt. Of course there are variations, that worked better, such as sea salt + a couple of drops hydrogen peroxide, sea salt + vitamin C and lemon, sea salt plus apple cider vinegar, etc.

I am getting rave reviews and these variations works. Writing this single issue on sea salt could take me days, but the gist of the information, this is enough for you to begin trying them.""

Unconventional Wisdom
by Emma Ross, The Associated Press

Low-Salt Diet a Risk?

London, March 12 - A low-salt diet may not be so healthy after all. Defying a generation of health advice, a controversial new study concludes that the less salt people eat, the higher their risk of untimely death. 
The study, led by Dr. Michael Alderman, chairman of epidemiology at Albert Einstein School; of Medicine in New York and president of the American Society of Hypertension, suggests the government should consider suspending it's recommendation that people restrict the amount of salt they eat.
"The lower the sodium, the worse off you are," Alderman said. "There's an association. Is it the cause? I don't know. Any way you slice it, that's not an argument for eating a low sodium diet.

SOME MYTHS ABOUT SALTS

We get too much salt in our foods today. 

Too much salt will cause high blood pressure, water retention (swelling), kidney problems, heart problems and the list goes on. 

We are told a low-salt or salt-free diet is best for good health. 

SALT FACTS

In the middle ages no salt was so dangerous, criminals were often put to death by being put in a cell and given no salt. It caused a slow agonizing death.

2000 years ago salt was used as money. Gold and salt had the same value. The word salary comes from salt. 

In the old days, salt was used to preserve foods. Today, we have refrigeration, so less salt is required except for maybe curing meats. 

All warm blooded animals must have salt to live. 

The human brain and spine is in a sac of salt water called CSF (cerebrospinal fluid). This liquid circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord. 

We all spent approx 9 months in our mothers belly floating in salt water (amniotic fluid). 

Our tears are salty and we sweat salt. 

Our bones are hollow in the center (marrow) where blood cells are made. The marrow is covered with many strands of calcium salts, the way rope is woven together. Salt crystals are woven in with the calcium and these salt crystals are what make our bones hard, not the calcium. 

27% of the body’s salt content is located in the bones. When the body requires more salt it can borrow it from the bones. When this happens, calcium is also removed with the salt making the bones thinner, softer and brittle. Sentences are too short and continue on the next line instead of bein extended.

Salt is made up of sodium and chlorine. Together they are called Sodium chloride (Na Cl). 

Sodium is a soft positive charged metal where chlorine is a negative charged gas that becomes a liquid when put under pressure. 

Chlorine is a gas/liquid but somehow when the earth was formed the chlorine became a solid with the sodium and trace minerals. 

You can crush the salt crystals into a powder and the chlorine stays with the sodium. Chlorine as a solid is called chloride. 

The salt we use today comes from our oceans, lakes or salt mines. In addition to sodium and chlorine, all the salt on planet earth comes with many trace minerals mixed into it. 

So we can assume that these trace minerals are very important or they would not be combined with the salt. Because of the commercial value of these minerals they are removed in order to make big profits. 

The human body is able to split the chlorine from the sodium as needed. Our blood requires chlorine as do many of our organs. The stomach uses chlorine to make hydrochloric acid required so we can digest our food correctly. 

Our body also uses the sodium chloride as salt to keep the brain, spine, tears, bones, sweat glands, organs and blood topped off with salt. The body benefits from the other trace minerals that help keep the body alkaline and healthy. 

Just as drinking too much plain water can kill a person (hyponatremia). The same thing is true with taking too much salt, it can cause swelling, diarrhea, and death. 

Table salt is purified by removing the trace minerals and heating the salt to 1200 degree Fahrenheit . Now all you have is 40% sodium and 60% chloride then an anti-caking agent is added so it won’t stick together. 

Too much sodium can happen from eating too many food additives containing sodium as a binder (sort of a glue). Sodium is not salt. Salt is sodium chloride. 

Sodium bicarbonate, sodium benzoate and MSG (mono sodium glutamate) are just a few of these additives. 

Sodium, potassium and chloride are electrolytes (special minerals) that dissolve in water and carry electrical charges anywhere there is water in the body. 

These electrically charged minerals can freely move into a cell and back out again carrying nutrients in and removing waste products and excess water as to keep the cell balanced. 

At the same time as these electrolytes move in and out of the cells making their exchanges, a delicate balance of potassium inside the cell must be maintained with a special amount of sodium and chloride to hold the potassium in the center of the cell. 

Electrolytes are found in all fluids of the body and carry impulses along your nerves. This helps your muscles, like the heart and diaphragm, contract and relax. 

Electrolytes carry glucose (blood sugar) into the cell after insulin opens the door or gate for the sugar to be taken in. 

Electrolytes also turn “cation pumps” that generate electricity which is stored in the Mg ATP and Mg GTP batteries of the body. 

If a person loses too many of these electrolytes from having diarrhea or from taking a water pill (diuretic) they can become very sick and must go to the hospital and receive IVs of saline (salt water), dextrose (sugar water) and minerals. 

Many of our beverages today contain caffeine that is a diuretic, acting as a water pill, causing a water shortage in the body. Nothing replaces plain water according to Dr Batmanghelidj. 

Scientists and doctors still don’t know how salt dissolves in water or how it can 
keep getting saltier and saltier. Scientists and chemists have some theories but can’t prove any of them. 

What salt does for you

Salt has many other functions than just regulating the water content of the body. 

Here are some of its additional important functions in the body according to Dr. Batmanghelidj in his book, ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus on pages 144-150: 

Salt is a powerful natural antihistamine. The next time you get a runny nose or watery eyes from allergies, try drinking a glass of plain water, then put a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and let it dissolve. 

Asthma symptoms can be relieved by drinking one or two glasses of plain water, then putting a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and let it dissolve. Try it next time… before using your inhaler. 

Salt helps relieve “stress” symptoms. 

Salt is important for the removal of acidity from your brain cells. 

Kidneys will not work correctly without salt. 

Depression and emotional problems are greatly relieved by taking more salt, drinking plain water, eating correctly and walking. 

Bladder control problems and unintentional urine leakage could be helped by adding more salt into your diet. 

Diabetics can bring down their blood sugar levels and reduce their need for insulin by taking salt. 

Irregular heartbeats may be stopped by putting a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and letting it dissolve. 

Our digestive system requires salt to properly absorb the food we eat. 

Asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis suffers can get rid of mucus and phlegm in the lungs by using salt and drinking plain water. 

Gout symptoms can be prevented by using salt. 

If you get muscle cramps (Charlie horses, etc.), salt may relieve them. Try putting a pinch of salt on the end of your tongue and let it dissolve. 

Bones get their hardness from salt, not calcium. 

Osteoporosis is mainly caused by not taking enough salt and water everyday. 

Salt is essential for preventing varicose and spider veins on the legs. 

Are you having problems maintaining an erection, you need to eat more salt and drink more plain water. 

Salt may help reduce a double chin. The salivary glands in your mouth sense your body is low on salt and produce more saliva. Over time, this increased production of saliva causes the saliva glands to “leak” in the area under your chin. One possible way to get rid of a double chin. 

Taking salt and drinking plain water before exercising will help you to breathe better and sweat less. 

Because there is potassium in almost everything we eat, salt needs to be added to our food. This will allow our body to maintain the proper balance of water between the inside and outside oceans of water in our cells. 

In a study of almost 3,000 men that had high blood pressure, the men on a low-salt diet had a 430% increase in heart attacks when compared to the men who ate a high-salt diet. 

Low-salt diets have also been shown to increase total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and fasting insulin levels.

Question to think about: 

It has been over thirty years since we were first told to eat a low salt diet in order to avoid having high blood pressure. Why then, do more citizens have high blood pressure today than they did thirty years ago? 

Why do you get High Blood Pressure on a low-salt diet?

Our blood is 94% water Our brain is 85% water Our soft tissue is 75% water 

Dr Batman says water, salt and potassium together regulate the water content of the body. 

Basically, every cell in our body has an /ocean of fresh water/ inside the cell and an /ocean of salt water/ outside the cell. Good health depends on a most delicate balance of the water between these two oceans. 

Salt forces water to stay in the outside /ocean of water/ of the cell (osmotic retention) and potassium holds water in the inside /ocean of water/ of the cell. 

When the body is low on water (you are not drinking enough) it will increase the volume of salty water in the outside ocean of the cell. 

Through a special mechanism, a hormone (vasopressin) is released that can filter out the salt from the outside ocean and inject some fresh water into the center ocean as needed to maintain the delicate balance. 

For this method to work, the capillaries (blood vessels) must constrict by the use of vasopressin. This causes the capillaries to /tighten up,/ giving you high blood pressure, which is necessary in order to filter and inject water from the outside ocean of water into the inside ocean of water. 

One cause of high blood pressure is a lack of fresh water for the inside ocean of the cell according to Dr Batman. We call it hypertension. 

Dr Batmanghelidj says if a person will walk (exercise), drink more plain water (in the place of coffee, tea, soda) and add just a little more salt (not sodium) to their diet, their blood pressure will normalize again. 

How much salt should you take?

Dr Batmanghelidj suggests we use… 

1/8 tsp* (3/4 g) *of salt* (unrefined sea salt is best) *for every 16 oz *(half a liter) *of water we drink*… ½ tsp of salt for every half a gallon of water and a full tsp of salt for one gallon of water. 

Note: If a person is not going to the bathroom at least three times per day, they should check with their doctor first before drinking more water and using more salt. 

Your kidneys must be working properly. This means…the amount of liquid you drink should be almost equal to the amount of urine you are eliminating every day. 

At the same time, going to the bathroom too frequently (too many trips) per day will pull very important vitamins, minerals and electrolytes out of your body and can cause more harm than good. 

Salt can be very harmful to the human body… /_if the proper amount of plain water is not taken with it_/ to keep the proper balance of electrolytes. 

You should be very careful when adding more plain water to your diet. Add it very slowly so that the water will not act as a diuretic causing you to lose your electrolytes and become ill (dehydrated). 

The body must adjust to drinking plain water after drinking coffee, tea and soda containing caffeine, because they contain caffeine or other chemicals that cause the body to work in a different mode. 

Just like you have to keep filling up the gas tank in a car or it stop’s running, the body works the same way. You must drink water at regular intervals throughout the day because our body does not have a “gas tank” to draw from. 

When you drink plain water the body uses what it needs right away and what it doesn’t need goes to the kidneys and out of the body. 

If a person has some swelling (edema) that is not from an injury or surgery and wants to get rid of it, Dr B says water can be used as a /natural diuretic/ providing their kidneys and heart are working ok. 

When we drink enough water to pass clear urine, we also pass out a lot of the salt that was held in the body. 

There are four suggested ways to take the salt. 

1. The first way is to just coat the front part of your tongue with the salt, making sure that you taste the salt, and then drink the water over the salt, washing it down. 

2. You could also just put the extra salt on your food. The only problem with that is acquiring a taste for very salty food. 

3. If you are very salt-sensitive then you would get some empty capsules and put the amount of salt you require into the capsules and take it with food. 

4. Mixing salt into the water for drinking is not a very good idea. Only young children and seniors that are having trouble remembering things should mix 1/8 tsp of salt into 16 oz of plain water and drink their water this way until they start remembering things again. 

Another medical doctor’s point of view

Dr David Brownstein, in his book “Salt your way to health”, said he was taught in medical school that salt causes high blood pressure and everybody should be on a low-salt diet. While treating his patients, he started to notice the ones who had high blood pressure received very little benefit from a low-salt diet. Most of them were also low on minerals. 

In his search for ways to help these patients he came across unrefined salt. By suggesting that his patients should use unrefined salt, which has over 80 trace minerals in it, he noticed something strange start to happen. 

His patients with high blood pressure were finding that their blood pressure was actually coming down. To the point they could come off of their medications. 

Dr Brownstein, MD has a current medical practice at Center for Holistic Medicine, West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (www.drbrownstein.com). Dr Brownstein’s book, “Salt your way to health” will show you how adding the right kind of salt to your diet can help: adrenal disorders, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, fatigue, headaches, immune system function and thyroid disorders. 

Notes: 

1 – Alderman, M. Low urinary sodium is associated with greater risk of myocardial infarction among treated hypertensive men. Hypertension. 1995;25:1144-1152 

2 – Ruppert, M. et al. Short term dietary sodium restriction increases serum lipids and insulin in Salt-sensitive and salt resistant normotensive adults. Klin Wochenschr. 1991;69:(suppl. XXV):51-57) 


3 – Am. J. of Hypertension. 1991;4:410-415

Dehydration Causes, Symptoms and Tips to Stay Hydrated

Our Body of Water
The majority of the body is made up of water with up to 75% of the
body's weight due to H2O. Most of the water is found within the
cells of the body (intracellular space). The rest is found in the
extracellular space, which consists of the blood vessels
(intravascular space) and the spaces between cells (interstitial
space).

What is Dehydration?
Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is
greater than the amount being taken in. The body is very dynamic
and always changing. This is especially true with water levels in
the body. We lose water routinely when we: 
>breathe and humidified air leaves the body; 
>sweat to cool the body; and
>urinate or have a bowel movement to rid the body of waste
products.

In a normal day, a person has to drink a significant amount of
water to replace this routine loss.

Causes of Dehydration: Diarrhea.
Diarrhea is the most common reason a person loses excess
water. Diarrhea consists of unusually frequent or unusually liquid
bowel movements and excessive watery evacuations of fecal material. Persistent diarrhea is both uncomfortable and dangerous, as a significant amount of water can be lost with each
bowel movement. Worldwide, more than four million children die
each year because of dehydration from diarrhea.



Causes of Dehydration: Vomiting
Vomiting is the act of forcible emptying of the stomach, in which
the stomach has to overcome the pressures that are normally in
place to keep food and secretions within the stomach. The
stomach almost turns itself inside out - forcing itself into the
lower portion of the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth
to the stomach) during a vomiting episode. Constant vomiting can
be a serious cause of fluid loss and it is difficult for a person to
replace water if they are unable to tolerate liquids.



Causes of Dehydration: Sweat
The body can lose significant amounts of water when it tries to
cool itself by sweating. Whether the body is hot because of the
environment (for example, working in a warm environment),
intense exercising in a hot environment, or because a fever is
present due to an infection; the body uses a significant amount of
water in the form of sweat to cool itself. Depending upon weather
conditions, a brisk walk will generate up to 16 ounces of sweat
(one pound of water).



Causes of Dehydration: Diabetes
In people with diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels cause sugar
to spill into the urine, and water then follows, which can cause
significant dehydration. For this reason, frequent urination and
excessive thirst are among the symptoms of diabetes.



Causes of Dehydration: Burns
The skin has an important role to play in the fluid and temperature
regulation of the body. If enough skin area is injured, the ability to maintain that control can be lost. Burn victims become
dehydrated because water seeps into the damaged skin. Other
inflammatory diseases of the skin are also associated with fluid
loss.



Causes of Dehydration: Inability to Drink Fluids
The inability to drink adequately is another potential cause of
dehydration. Whether it is the lack of availability of water or the
lack of strength to drink adequate amounts, this, coupled with
routine or excessive amounts of water loss can compound the
degree of dehydration.



What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration?

The body's initial responses to dehydration are thirst to increase
water intake along with decreased urine output to try to conserve
water. The urine will become concentrated and more yellow in
color. As the level of water loss increases, more symptoms can
become apparent, such as increased thirst, dry mouth, cessation
of tear production by the eyes, cessation of sweating , muscle
cramps, nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations, and
lightheadedness (especially when standing). With severe
dehydration, confusion and weakness will occur as the brain and
other body organs receive less blood. Finally, coma and organ
failure will occur if the dehydration remains untreated.



How is Dehydration Diagnosed?
Dehydration is often a clinical diagnosis. Aside from diagnosing
the reason for dehydration, the health care professional's
examination of the patient will assess the level of dehydration.
Initial evaluations may include:
Mental status tests to evaluate whether the patient is awake,
alert, and oriented.
Vital sign assessments may include postural readings
(blood pressure and pulse rate are taken lying down and
standing). With dehydration, the pulse rate may increase and
the blood pressure may drop because the intravascular
space is depleted of water.
Temperature may be measured to assess fever.
Skin will be checked to see if sweat is present and to assess
the degree of elasticity. As dehydration progresses, the skin
loses its water content and becomes less elastic.
Infant evaluation: infants may have additional evaluations
performed, including checking for a soft spot on the skull
(sunken fontanelle), assessing the suck mechanism, muscle,tone, or loss of sweat in the armpits and groin.

Pediatric patients are often weighed during routine visits, thus a body weight measurement may be helpful in assessing how much water has been lost with the acute illness.
In some cases, blood tests to measure potential electrolyte abnormalities and urinalysis may be ordered to determine the level of dehydration in the patient.



How is Dehydration Treated?

Fluid replacement is the treatment for dehydration. This may be
attempted by replacing fluid by mouth, but if this fails, intravenous
fluid (IV) may be required. Should oral rehydration be attempted,
frequent small amounts of clear fluids should be used. 

Clear fluids include:

>water,
>clear broths,
>popsicles,
>Jell-O, and
>other replacement fluids that may contain electrolytes.

Can Dehydration Be Treated at Home?
Dehydration occurs over time. If it can be recognized in its earliest
stages, and if its cause can be addressed, then home treatment may be adequate. Steps a person can take at home to prevent
severe dehydration include:

>People with vomiting and diarrhea can try to alter their diet
and use water-cure-protocol formula to control symptoms to minimize water loss.

>Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to control fever.
Ibuprofen may irritate the stomach and cause nausea and
vomiting, so it should be used with caution in individuals
who already have these symptoms.

>Fluid replacements may be attempted by replacing fluid by mouth with frequent small amounts of clear fluids.

 If the individual becomes confused or lethargic; if there is
persistent, uncontrolled fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; or if there are
any other specific concerns, then medical care should be accessed. EMS or 911 should be activated for any person with altered mental status.



What Are the Complications of Dehydration?

Complications of dehydration may occur because of the
dehydration, and/or because of the underlying disease or situation
that causes the fluid loss. Complications that may occur include:
>kidney failure,

>coma,

>shock,

>heat-related illnesses (heat exhaustion or heat stroke), and

>electrolyte abnormalities.



Dehydration Prevention Tip #1

Plan ahead and take extra water to all outdoor events where
increased sweating, activity, and heat stress will increase fluid
loss. Encourage athletes and people who work outside to replace
fluids at a rate that equals the loss.



Dehydration Prevention Tip #2

Check weather forecasts for high heat index days. When
temperatures are high, avoid exercise, outdoor exposure, and plan
events that must occur outside during times of the day when
temperatures are lower.



Dehydration Prevention Tip #3

The young and elderly are most at risk of dehydration. Ensure that
older people, infants, and children have adequate drinking water or
fluids available and assist them as necessary. Encourage
individuals who are incapacitated or impaired to drink plenty of
water and assure they are provided with adequate fluids.
During heat waves, attempts should be made to check on the elderly in their homes. During the Chicago heat wave of 1995, more than 600 people died in their homes from heat exposure.



Dehydration Prevention Tip #4

Avoid alcohol consumption, especially when it is very hot, because
alcohol increases water loss and impairs your ability to recognize
early signs associated with dehydration. 



Dehydration Prevention Tip #5

Wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing if you must be
outdoors when it is hot outside. Drink plenty of water and carry a
personal fan or mister to cool yourself.



Dehydration Prevention Tip #6

Break up your exposure to hot temperatures. Find air-conditioned
or shady areas and allow yourself to cool between exposures.
Taking someone into a cooled area for even a couple of hours
each day will help prevent the cumulative effects of high heat
exposure.



Dehydration Prevention Tip #7

Know the signs and symptoms of heat cramps, heat rash, heat
exhaustion, and heat stroke. Preventing dehydration is one step to
avoid these conditions.



Dehydration At A Glance

>The body needs water to function.

>Dehydration occurs when water intake is less than water loss.

>Symptoms range from mild to life-threatening.

>Prevention is the important first step in treating dehydration.

>The young and the elderly are especially susceptible to
dehydration.

How is dehydration diagnosed?

Dehydration is often a clinical diagnosis. Aside from diagnosing the reason for dehydration, the health care professional's examination of the patient will assess the level of dehydration. Initial evaluations may include:

Mental status tests to evaluate whether the patient is awake, alert, and oriented. Infants and children may appear listless and have whiny cries and decreased muscle tone.


Vital signs may include postural readings (blood pressure and pulse rate are taken lying down and standing). With dehydration, the pulse rate may increase and the blood pressure may drop because the blood is depleted of fluid. People taking beta blocker medications for high blood pressure, heart disease, or other indications, occasionally lose the ability to increase their heart rate as a compensation mechanism since these medications block the adrenaline receptors in the body.

Temperature may be measured to assess fever. While it is common to measure temperature in the ear (tympanic) or by mouth (orally), a rectal thermometer may be used to assess core body temperature if the patient appears warm, but no fever is noted tympanically or orally.

Skin may be checked to see if sweat is present and to assess the degree of elasticity (turgor). As dehydration progresses, the skin loses its water content and becomes less elastic. The amount of sweat is often felt in the armpit or groin, two areas that tend to have moisture normally.

The mouth can become dry and the health care professional may look at or feel the tongue to see how wet it is.

Infants may have additional evaluations performed, including checking for a soft spot on the skull (sunken fontanelle), and assessing the suck mechanism, loss of sweat in the armpits and groin, and muscle tone. All are signs of potential significant dehydration.

Pediatric patients are often weighed during routine child visits, thus a body weight measurement may be helpful in assessing how much water has been lost with the acute illness. This is very rough estimate because all scales are not the same, and for infants and children, it is important to know what clothing they were wearing when the original weight was taken.

Laboratory testing

The purpose of blood tests is to assess potential electrolyte abnormalities (including sodium, potassium, chloride, and carbon dioxide levels) associated with the dehydration. Other tests may or may not be ordered depending upon the underlying cause of dehydration, the severity of illness, and the health care professional's assessment of their needs and resources available.

Other blood tests may be helpful in determining the level of dehydration. Hemoglobin and red blood cell counts may be elevated because the blood is more concentrated with water loss from the intravascular space.

Kidney function tests including BUN and creatinine may be elevated, and this is one way of measuring the severity of dehydration.

Urinalysis may be ordered to determine urine concentration; the more concentrated the urine, the more dehydrated the patient.