Thirsty?  How do you know if you're just “normal thirsty” or if you're suffering from dehydration?

A simple definition of dehydration is your body doesn't have enough water in it to work properly.

There are many reasons for it besides not drinking enough water—severe diarrhea and/or vomiting, high fever, a side effect to a medication such as a diuretic, a complication of diabetes, or after consuming too much alcohol.

Anyone can become dehydrated, although infants, young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with long-term illnesses are at the highest risks.

Since severe dehydration can be serious—possibly leading to shock or death within a few hours—it's vital to be aware of the symptoms, and potential causes. Symptoms of dehydration may include:

• Thirst    
• Dry skin
• Headaches
• Dizziness or feeling faint
• Cramps
• Low blood pressure
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Mood changes or confusion
• Constipation
• Decrease in urine production or dark urine
• Fever

Staying hydrated is particularly important during the summer months, when we tend to be outside in the heat more often, and may be participating in strenuous activity.

The best way to keep from becoming dehydrated is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water.

While the old adage “8 ounces 8 times per day” is merely an easy-to-remember guideline, and may not be necessary under normal conditions, it’s a handy rule when we're exercising outside during the summer.

Don't forget that water can be found in the food we eat, too—and a cool cucumber soup or a fresh fruit salad might be pretty refreshing on a hot day.

The elderly can be especially susceptible to the threat of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Many seniors can have health conditions that make them less adaptable to the heat. There are various medications that contribute to dehydration, too.

One study shows that as much as 40% of heat-related fatalities occur among those over the age of 65.

If possible, visit or check on your elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors at least twice a day during the hot summer months. Here are some other helpful guidelines:

• Aging makes it more difficult to perceive thirst, so reminders to stay hydrated are very important. Make sure your seniors are drinking plenty of water. There are also many foods that have high water content, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, and watermelons.
• Seniors should avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day, typically between 10 am and 6 pm. They should also avoid strenuous exercise and other outdoor activities when it's hot out.
• Know the warning signs of heat-related illnesses—dizziness, nausea, headache, chest pain, and breathing difficulties—and get help right away.
• If your senior doesn't have an air conditioner, advise them to spend days at a local mall, museum, library, or senior center. Some areas may have programs which provide donated box fans or window units to the elderly, or you may be able to find a free or low-cost unit via social media (it never hurts to ask!)

Take care of your loved ones and have a great summer.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke become very real threats during the summer, especially when you’re physically exerting yourself. These risks only increase for small children and adults over the age of 65.

You or members of your family could be even more vulnerable to heat stroke depending on health conditions or medications. 

Here are a few precautions you can take to help beat the heat:

Stay Hydrated.  The major cause of heat stroke is dehydration. If you're experiencing a headache with mild nausea or if your urine is dark—drink water! Avoid sugary drinks and alcohol when it's hot—they may interfere with your body's attempts to control its temperature.

Become a shady character.  On a hot day, the difference in temperature between sun and shade can be considerable. If air conditioning is not available, seek out a shady place.

Go jump in a lake.  Sometimes when people tell you this, they actually are trying to be helpful. It's no wonder water sports are popular during the summer—they are a great way to cool off. If your a/c is out, try a cool bath or shower.

Feel the burn…not!  Sunburn can prevent your body from cooling itself naturally, so be sure to wear sunglasses, hats and sunscreen.

Shut up and Drive.  Stay out of parked cars on hot days. The temperature in your car can rise 20 degrees in 10 minutes on sunny days.

They say that if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. If that’s not possible, try these cool tips. 

We’ve all heard of the giant celebrations that go on every year in places like New York and Boston, but there are many smaller events that take place in small towns across the country.  Here are a few you may not have heard of:

In Bar Harbor, Maine, festivities always begin at the crack of dawn with a blueberry pancake breakfast put on by the local rotary club. However, things really get underway with the annual lobster races where lobsters sponsored by local businesses attempt to claw their way to victory.

If you don’t want to wait until morning, you don’t have to. In Gatlinburg, Tennessee they get started promptly at midnight with the nation’s first 4th of July parade. 

If you like tradition, you can take a trip to Bristol, Rhode Island, which holds the record for the oldest 4th of July celebration. They’ve been painting the town red, white and blue every year since 1785.

Why should humans have all the fun? In Federal Hill Park in Baltimore, MD they celebrate with a pet parade and an animal talent show instead of fire trucks and baton twirlers. 

Part of the fun of the 4th is the cookouts, right? Well, that’s doubly so in Coney Island, New York which features Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hotdog Eating Contest. Not to be outdone, the residents in the town of George, Washington, get together every 4th to produce the world’s largest cherry pie. 

Fireworks and food? Laboring lobsters or prima donna pets? How will you celebrate the 4th of July?

“It’s a nice day outside.  Why are you in here?”

You must have said it a thousand times, yet your kids are glued to their TV, video games and cell phones. Technology may be a part of modern life, but that doesn’t mean you have to let a perfectly good day go to waste. Here are some fun (and inexpensive) ways to unplug your kids this summer:

Geocaching.  Players use their GPS to follow a set of clues to ultimately find containers or ‘caches’ hidden by another player. Here’s your chance to be a 21^stcentury Indiana Jones.

Draw murals with sidewalk chalk.  It’s fun, creative and you get to enjoy beautiful art without all the mess since the next rain storm cleans your canvas for you.

Head to the local farmers’ market.  Can your kids tell the difference between a rutabaga and an acorn squash? Can you? Add something different to your dinner menu and have an adventure all in the same day— a win-win for everyone!

Visit an interactive museum.Museums used to be dusty and boring. No longer! With the new wave of interactive museums, you can get directly involved instead of just staring. Many town libraries offer free or reduced price passes to regional museums.

Glow in the dark bowling.  Simply take some empty water bottles, add glow sticks and you can turn your lawn into a bowling alley any time of night.

Lawn Scrabble.  All you need is some cardboard and markers to make a Scrabble board that spans the whole yard.

Make the most of summer with these fun activities or create your own games and some great memories.

Being a father isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as dads, both real and syndicated, have found out through the years. It’s Father’s Day on June 19^th, and what better way to celebrate than to take a look at some of history’s famous, not-so-famous and downright infamous fathers. 

A.A. Milne.  While the author one of the most beloved children’s book series of all times did indeed write the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ stories for his son, he bristled at the thought of being considered a children’s author.

Dr. Benjamin Spock.  The man who was considered the foremost authority on how to raise children had a cool and distant relationship with his two sons, Mike and John.

George Washington.  Our first president, Washington is often called the ‘Father of Our Country.’ Ironically, though he was hardly chaste in his personal affairs, he never had any children of his own.

John Muir.  The man who many consider the forefather of the modern conservationist movement would often take his two daughters on long camping excursion into the wilderness.

Emperor Constantine.  Not every dad is father of the year material, and Emperor Constantine was no exception. He had his son and likely heir Crispus murdered and the boy’s mother killed two days later.

Charles Darwin.  When he wasn’t sailing to the Galapagos or working on The Origin of Species, the naturalist was spending time with his wife and 10 children, who later remembered him as a loving storyteller who took interest in their lives and encouraged their freedom.

Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there.