Hot Weather Health

We’re coming in to the hottest part of the year, and it’s important to recognize that our bodies needs change a bit when the temperatures rise. Most people realize that they need to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water, but there are other important steps to take to stay healthy in the heat.

One’s need for water will vary, depending on a lot of individual health factors, as well as the amount of fluid being lost to sweating. There’s various recommendations as to how much water to drink, but I think a simpler way to judge whether your intake is adequate is to look at your urine. Generally, you’re looking for your urine to be a straw or pale yellow color. Darker, more distinctly yellow urine is a sign that you may need to drink more water, particularly if you don’t feel the need to urinate very often.

Now, the color assessment assumes that you are relatively healthy with normal kidney function and you aren’t taking medications or vitamins that may alter the color. For example, B-complex vitamins will often turn the urine a very bright yellow or even orange color. If you’re taking something that alters your urine color, then it may be more useful to look at your urinary frequency, which typically averages around 6 to 8 times per day.

Besides water intake, certain minerals that interact with fluid balance known as electrolytes are also important for you to replenish, particularly if you’ve been sweating a lot. The “big 3” electrolytes are sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Most people get adequate sodium, as the American diet tends to be fairly high in salt (sodium chloride), but potassium and magnesium may not always be plentiful in the diet, and you may be susceptible to deficiencies or imbalances in them, particularly in the hot weather. The most common symptom that you may be low in potassium and/or magnesium is muscle tightness and cramping. You may also find that your blood pressure is running a bit higher than usual.

To replenish potassium and magnesium, there are conveniently combination supplements with both that make it relatively simple. Another way to easily increase potassium is to switch from regular table salt (sodium chloride) to Morton’s (there are other brands, but Morton’s seems to be the most available) Lite Salt, which is a mixture of sodium and potassium chloride. Some stores stock Lite Salt with other seasonings rather than salt for some reason, so you may have to search a bit for it.

Magnesium comes in a variety of different forms. For general purposes, the glycinate and aspartate forms work well and are relatively inexpensive. The threonate form is a helpful supplement for sleep, but it is not as effective for general electrolyte balance and is more expensive than other forms of magnesium. Again, supplements with both magnesium and potassium are available and make it convenient to increase your intake of both.

Just a word of caution, stick with the dosing recommendations, especially for potassium, as far exceeding the recommended dose (there’s a lot of room for error, just don’t go crazy with it) can be very dangerous. Taking too much magnesium is not ideal, but the primary issue is loose stools if you do take too much.

Besides the risk of dehydration, just being in a high heat environment for too long can cause problems all by itself. The problems can range from relatively mild such as general fatigue, on up to more serious conditions like actual heat stroke. To avoid trouble, if you have to be out in the heat, try to keep your exertion to a minimum, and take frequent breaks to go into an air conditioned environment for a little while to cool off, perhaps get in the water or rinse down with a hose, or at least rest in the shade.

Summer can be a great time for fun outdoors, but be aware of the dangers of the heat and do what you can to stay hydrated and not get overheated.

Until next time…

George F. Best, D.C.