Hydration Principles

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

The heat of summer is here. The humidity makes some days unbearable, so we hide in the air conditioning. At those times you choose to be outside or must be in the heat, do you stay hydrated?

During strenuous activities, especially in the summer heat, we need to replenish liquids and sometimes, electrolytes. On a daily basis, listening to your thirst mechanism is a good way to stay hydrated. Pure, clean water is vital for optimal health.

Once your body has lost 1-2% of its total water content, you start to feel thirsty. During times of heavy exercise or work, by the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated to some degree. This is why it is important to drink plenty of liquids prior to and during periods of heavy sweating. Professional athletes tend to know this.

Aspirin- part 2

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Before you jump on the bandwagon of taking aspirin daily for the reduction of heart attacks, stroke and cancer, you really need to educate yourself on the actual benefits and side effects.   Like we showed last week, recent studies point toward no benefit in reducing heart attack with aspirin use.  In fact, use of aspirin by people who have not had a cardiac event seems to increase the incidence of heart attack.

Let’s start with the professed benefit of taking an aspirin a day. It is said to help prevent cardiovascular events, especially in a person who already has had a heart attack or stroke. A recent report came out saying aspirin prevents cancer when taken for at least 3 years. The process of thinning the blood so it can circulate more easily amongst clogged and narrowed arteries sure seems logical enough, if it only were true.