We all lose some body water every day through our sweat, tears, and urine. Water from the skin also evaporates and leaves the body as vapor when we breathe. But we usually replace this body fluid with water and food. Dehydration occurs when more water and fluids leave the body than enter it. Dehydration is dangerous as it is. But it becomes more dangerous and a threat to human lives during catastrophes. In this article When Is Dehydration An Emergency: 7 Ways To Survive Dehydration During Catastrophes, let us give you some tips on how to overcome it.
When is Dehydration An Emergency?
Dehydration is not always apparent, and there is usually no reliable indication that your body needs water. That is why you must drink water when the weather is hot or during illness.
Most occurrences of dehydration are easily reversible by increasing fluid intake, but severe cases of dehydration require immediate medical attention.
Here are the symptoms to consider when dehydration is an emergency:
- Extreme thirst
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Fatigue or excessive tiredness
- Dark-colored urine
- Less frequent urination or less urge to urinate
7 Ways To Survive Dehydration During Catastrophes
Natural Calamities come in all shapes and sizes. Hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding and landslides, forest fires, tornadoes, and many others can occur unexpectedly. They all can be dangerous and deadly. So is dehydration. The human body is 75% water, and without water, it cannot survive.
Water is critical. It is essential for human survival. You may not believe it, but most of us could survive for several weeks without food, yet a single day without water during a calamity can kill a person. In this article, let me share with you the 7 Ways To Survive Dehydration During Catastrophes.
- Fill your tub and tap off your toilets. During disasters, the public water system is polluted and shut down for weeks. Fill your tubs, sinks, and other possible containers with water. This process will provide your household with a short-term supply of clean, potable water. There is also a supply of fresh, drinkable water in the toilet tanks, pipes, and hot-water heater in your house. When you see that the tap water has stopped, immediately notify all other occupants not to flush the toilets. This will conserve water in your toilet tanks (the tanks, not the bowl, contain potable water). ( Do not drink water from toilet tanks if you use an automatic toilet cleaner with blue toilet water).
- Drain your water heater and pipes. Water heaters have vents located at the top of the tank and a drain near the bottom. Open the top vent and drain the tank into containers as needed. If there are dirt and sediment in the water coming out of the tub, do not discard this water. Let the sediments settle and drink water from the top. Make sure to turn off the electricity of your water heater before draining.
- Buy a portable water filter/purifier. I know that most of us don’t want to drink dirty water during calamities. But what if we are left with no choice? If you must leave home during a disaster, carrying a personal water supply on your back would be extremely hard. Floodwaters are usually contaminated with farm and human waste, sewage, and industrial chemicals. It would be helpful that you buy a bacteriological back-country-type water filter that has a carbon core also to remove toxic chemicals, odors, and bad tastes.
- Use treatment chemicals. If you don’t have portable water filters, you can still treat surface water with the use of iodine and pure chlorine bleach. Wait for about 30 minutes. Boiling the water for one minute will eliminate water-borne organisms, but will not remove toxic chemicals, bad tastes, and odors.
- Assemble a 72-Hour Grab-and-Run Kit. This is a must! Having a least one Grab-and-Run kit gives you and your family an advantage during calamities. It should provide necessities like food, water, first aid supplies, and even shelter that you will need to survive the critical days after a disaster.
- Consider Alternate Hydration Methods. We know that water the best choice for hydration. But it’s not the only option. You can also take other drinks to meet your hydration needs! You can have sports drinks, club sodas, sparkling, or even coconut water. As long as it helps you hydrate, it’s cool!
- Have a colloidal silver generator ready. A Homemade colloidal silver can purify drinking water and can help in fighting viruses and other infections in the absence of high-tech pharmaceuticals. Hospitals often use silver-based ointments to fight infection in burn victims, where traditional antibiotics are not enough to fight the infection.
Conclusion
Dehydration can lead to severe medical complications, especially during calamities. Humans can survive for weeks without food, but a lack of water is fatal within three to four days. This grim fact makes water disaster preparedness vital. Having advanced knowledge to sustain life through whatever is available in your surroundings is critical. Not just for you but your family and the people around you.
We hope that this article will help you in identifying when dehydration is an emergency and the 7 ways to survive dehydration during catastrophes. Now go and ready those survival kits just in case. Remember, we cannot stop natural calamities from happening, but we can always be prepared for them. Know more about emergency plans.