The main risk of the heat wave that affects France and in particular the south of the country is that of dehydration. How do I know if I’m hydrated enough? The trick of the doctor Patrick Pelloux.
In the context of the heat wave and temperature rises currently affecting France and especially the south, hydration is essential to prevent the risks of dehydration. Doctor Patrick Pelloux shared a trick to know if you are hydrated enough, and especially for children and the elderly, on the RMC-BFM set on July 18. “It’s not very politically correct but it’s the reality” defended the emergency doctor. So how do you know if you are suffering from dehydration? “The indicator is urine. If you pee well, you’re fine. In medicine, that’s how we know“said Patrick Pelloux. “Hydration is measured at diuresis [la quantité d’urines éliminées pendant un nombre d’heures données]”. For measure it in the baby or the elderlyhe recommends : “If you change a diaper and it is dry, you have to ask yourself a question and rehydrate the baby immediately. It’s the same for older people.”
The doctor then recalled the correct tips to protect yourself from the heat such as “wet your t-shirt, put water on yourself and put a wet clothes on the fan to refresh”. Finally, he recalled the importance of “adapt treatments for fragile people because drugs react badly with heat“. This concerns in particular chronic patients, kidney or heart failure and patients with chronic psychological pathologies under neuroleptics. “They must contact their doctor to adjust the doses“ insists the doctor.