Water: Thirst and First Aid

Water is never a locality of any attention kit, but maybe it ought to be. In its various forms, from steam to solid ice, water can be wont to forestall and relieve several minor maladies. These uses are fairly well better-known however during this age of contemporary, sophisticated drugs; this humble but effective potable has been virtually forgotten. Here are some ways that with water. Try it. Trust it.

Fever Control: When body temperature shoots high, it must be controlled quickly. Sponging the patient's body all over with tepid (not cold) water will facilitate bring down the fever. The water should be allowed to evaporate as abundant as potential, without wiping it off.

Sore Throat: Gargling is a relief measure for that tight sore throat that makes swallowing so painful. It does much to ease discomfort and control the infection. The formula: Half a teaspoon of salt in one glass of warm (not steaming) water. Gargle three or four times a day. It works!

Burns: The best first aid for burns is cool running water (not ice), applied immediately. Hold the burnt areas under a running tap - prompt cooling minimizes the damage to deeper tissues.

Constipation: If you are prone to constipation, try stepping up your water intake to at least 8 glasses a day. Keeping a glass of water by your side and sipping from it from time to time makes it easier to consume than trying to guzzle huge glassfuls at one go.

Diarrhea: Strangely enough, water - which relieves constipation, is equally for this

with diarrhea. The body weakness associated with diarrhea comes from dehydration. A person week with diarrhea should be fed water, thirsty or not.

Dehydration! What is it?

To put it simply dehydration is drying out or losing moisture. Wet clothes become wearable through dehydration, grapes turn into raisins because of dehydration. But when applied to human being, dehydration takes on a rather grim meaning. If not controlled in time, it can even be fatal.

Dehydration occurs when a large amount of body water is lost, but not replenished. When the body's water content falls below a safe level, resulting in mild dehydration which can progress to severe dehydration. Whether mild or severe, dehydration is dangerous and must be promptly corrected.

Risk of Dehydration: Anyone, who is losing more water than he is taking in, this could happen to people with diarrhea, severe vomiting, high fever with bouts of heavy sweating, or those who are losing excessive amounts of water through the urine, due to untreated diabetes and so on. Babies and children can go into dehydration rather quickly and so can old people.

How to recognize dehydration: Mild dehydration can set in even before a doctor sees the patient. As a safely measure, other family member should learn to watch for symptoms such as these; a dry mouth and tongue, cracked lips, reduced output of urine, skin which looks thin and lax, instead of moist and firm. A child crying without tears, or repeatedly licking the lips, may also be dehydrated.

How to Control Dehydration: Prevention is better than cure is definitely true of dehydration/ As soon as a person begins to suffer diarrhea or vomits more than three or four times, he should make sure that he takes in enough water or other fluids, even if he is not thirsty. A few sips now and then are easier to hold down than larger quantities.

A severely ill person may not indicate thirst or be alert enough to drink. Such person should be fed boiled, cooked water at rate of two or three spoonful at a time, every five or 10 minutes. Any light fluid is suitable, but milk is not recommended. A liter of boiled, cooked water with six teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt is the formula recommended for oral re-hydration. Coconut water is also excellent.

Severe hydration however may not be controllable by oral re-hydration alone, especially when the patient is vomiting. In such case, a doctor's help is needed and fast!

Dehydration is only the side effect of another illness, but sometimes it can prove deadlier than the illness itself. Luckily, it is a condition that can be easily prevented.

Urinary Tract Infections: if you are prone to these, always drink plenty of water especially I you feel an attack coming on, with symptoms of burning during urination and low backache. A very minor infection can literally get washed out with water.

Sprains: Hot water is no longer the recommended treatment for sprains. Ice is the correct first aid. Make associate degree ice pack by attempting a few cubes in an exceedingly material and apply to the sprain. Prevents swelling, reduces pain.

Water Exercises: You can conjointly burn a lot of calories within the water, if you really work on it. Walking at three miles per hour in middle thigh deep water uses 450 calories in associate degree hour - virtually double as several as will land walking at the speed.

Water buoys you up, lets you move your limbs more freely and gently than on land, gives you the exercise you would like - while not all that serious going.

Aches and Pain Relief: water is a good carrier of temperature, so wherever heat and cold square measure required water can facilitate. Heat relieves muscular or skeletal pain, the kind suffered by arthritics, or bad backs or aches due to injury or exercise. A warm water soak causes blood vessels to dilate. Blood flows away from swollen joints so they're slightly de-sensitized, temporarily relieving soreness. Application of hot water bottles does facilitate.

Congested Chests: Water is the best medicament. Frequent sipping of warm water helps skinny down phlegm, makes it easier to cough out.

Enema: Something that folks hate to consider once in healthiness, but a nice relief for those tormented by stubborn constipation associates degree irrigation involves introduction of water into the gut to induce a movement.

Nose Bleed: A cloth soaked in chilled water, or an ice pack, can facilitate management a nose bleed. Old this cold compress into the ridge of the nose or back of neck until hemorrhage stops.