When someone has already fallen behind on fluids, the fastest fix is an oral rehydration solution, the same salt-and-sugar mix the World Health Organization uses against severe dehydration. The sugar paired with sodium switches on the gut's absorption pumps and pulls water in quickly. Store-bought packets and drinks work well, or a basic version is about half a teaspoon of salt and six teaspoons of sugar stirred into a liter of clean water. If the person shows confusion, slurred speech, or fainting, that can be heat stroke. No drink alone can fix that. According to OSHA, that is a 911 emergency. Move the person into shade, cool them with water or ice, and stay until help arrives.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
