Recently, an elderly couple nearly died after having car trouble on their way home to Helendale, California. In attempt to find an alternative route after facing a road closure, the couple was found by in California’s San Bernardino county desert collapsed from dehydration.
The couple had tried to navigate their way down a nearby dirt road, and after their car had become stuck, they started walking. After looking for help (for only a short time), the man collapsed from dehydration, and the woman continued to search for help, but soon fell down 35-foot embankment into a riverbed. Fortunately, they were both rescued much later after someone had come across the husband, but sadly this disaster could have been prevented.
If you are planning to take a road trip this summer, don’t forget to pack an emergency kit for your car. Should you buy one from the store? Forget about it! You can make your own for a fraction of the cost. Here’s what you’ll need: (more…)
Heart attack and cardiac arrest - we’ve all heard the terms. But, are they synonymous, or are there important differences? Actually, while they occur under different pathological circumstances, they can often, but not always, co-exist.
Physiologic changes in the body related to the aging process make elderly people especially prone to dehydration. This is due, in part because the aging brain isn’t able to effectively determine how much water the body needs. Additionally, with age, an elderly person’s thirst response diminishes, which means he or she may not recognize the need to drink more. 