Dehydration: Prevention & Treatment Tips

It's summer and the temperature is going up, up, up.

You may want your child to play outside for various reasons. But, it's important to prevent dehydration and treat symptoms should they arise.

How hot is it? How humid is it? These factors exacerbate water loss. Keep these things in mind when your child engages in outdoor summer activities.

Watch for early warning signs of dehydration. The first indicators are dizziness, tiredness and headache. Hydrate right away. Drinking water every 15 to 20 minutes is advised for outdoor activity. Carrying water helps. Heavy activity requires salt replacement, which may be the rare occasion for sports drinks.

Heat exhaustion is more dangerous than simple dehydration. Lack of urine or dark urine, heavy sweating when still, nausea and high heart rate are indicators of heat exhaustion. Get your child out of the heat immediately. Find some shade or go into a space with air conditioning. Rehydrate with water. Do not give your child a caffeinated beverage because it does not hydrate.

Heat stroke is extremely dangerous. The internal body temperature goes as high as 104 degrees. This can cause internal damage. The body can't cool itself down. Contact your pediatrician right away. Apply cold compresses to the torso, head, neck and groin. A cool bath may help. Rehydrate with water or sports drinks. Intravenous rehydration may be necessary.

Listen in as Dr. Corinn Cross advises how to watch for and treat dehydration.