Screening for Dehydration

7/12/201012:57:55 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

We found this article Vitamin Research News, by Mark Schauss.

So what is the best way to test for dehydration?  Some doctors will do a blood test and look for elevations in the red blood cell count, hematocrit, hemoglobin and albumin or high specific gravity in one's urine (measuring urine concentration), but that is impractical when trying to determine daily hydration levels.  There is a simple way to screen for daily dehydration that can be done in a doctor's office and people with normal blood pressure also can be trained to do it at home.

• In a seated position, the individual should place his or her right hand plam down on their right leg.
• Note the veins on the back of the hand.  They should be fluffy and sticking out.  If they are not, the person is severely dehydtrated.
• The individual should slowly raise his or her hand while looking at the veins on the back of their hand.
• If the veins diappear before the person reaches his or her chin, they are dehydrated.
• If the veins continue to stay puffy after the hand is over the head, this is a sign of hypertension, which may not  correspond to blood pressure.

Since some individuals have thinner or thicker skin, while others have low pressure individualizing the above process to each person is essential for a functional screening tool like this.  For people showing signs of dehydration, adding a tablespoon of Peltier Electrolytes to 8 ounces of water should work.  The recommended dosage of Peltier Electrolytes is 1/2 ounce or 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces three times daily.