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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sweating is your body's cooling mechanism. So when temperatures soar, you need more liquid, especially if you're not used to hot weather.
"When all of a sudden it's hot, nobody has adjusted and you need a lot more water than you'd expect," says Dr. James Miner , chair of Emergency Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
How much do you need to drink to avoid heat related illness? Dr. Miner says that depends, because we all have different activity levels. But there are some things you can do to know if you're drinking enough.
"The most obvious is what your urine looks like," Miner said. "The darker it is, the more water you need. If the urine is completely clear, you do not need any more water."
You do need more water if:
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- You're sweating
- You're urine is dark
- You haven't urinated in 6 hours
- You're thirsty
If you're thirsty, you're already below a healthy liquid level.
What should you drink? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
website
notes that water is sufficient if you're eating normally. And that you should avoid liquids that contain alcohol or caffeine.
Older adults and kids under age two are at greatest risk of dehydration.
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