It’s one of the hottest times of the year and the temperature is at some of its all-time highs. You’re likely drenched in sweat just being outside for a few minutes even just relaxing in the sun or walking.
Unfortunately, kids get put into situations all the time where they’re doing a lot more than that. For example, your child may be involved in a summer sport, prepping for football training or taking part in a summer camp. They’re supposed to be under the watchful eye of the adults in charge, but those adults may not realize that the summer heat can be more problematic than a bit of uncomfortable sweat.
Here’s what you should know:
Dehydration can be deadly
All that sweat pouring out of your child’s body is just their body’s way of trying to cool off – almost like an automatic A/C kicking on when it gets too hot.
When your body releases sweat, it expects you to intake water to make up for all the lost water. If you don’t have access to water or don’t have the time to take a break then you could experience dehydration. For young children, this can happen very fast.
A watchful adult may notice signs of dehydration at any point:
- Dry mouth
- Sunken eyes
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Fever
Dehydration can lead to more complications such as vomiting and diarrhea, making it easier to contract an illness. The best thing you may do is to stay hydrated as much as possible.
Watching out for heatstroke after dehydration
Dehydration and heatstroke are often two sides of the same coin. In other words, your child may experience heatstroke if someone doesn’t attend to your dehydration first.
When your child’s body has no way to cool itself down – such as during dehydration – then their body may overheat and cause heatstroke. In time, heatstroke can harm the brain, heart, muscles and kidneys without the proper medical care. These medical issues can cause long-term or even life-threatening problems.
You may need to know your options if your child was in a situation beyond your control that prevented them from staying cool under the sun which led to a serious or fatal injury.
