health alert Heat and dehydration: our most common call-out you can prevent
July 25, 2026 · The Dispensary Arugambay
Between the tropical heat, long surf sessions, and a beer or two in the sun, dehydration and heat exhaustion are among the most common reasons travelers walk in — and they’re almost entirely preventable.
Watch for the early signs: headache, dizziness, dark urine, cramping, feeling drained or nauseated. Left alone in this heat, that can tip into heat exhaustion or, rarely, dangerous heat stroke.
What prevents it:
- Drink before you’re thirsty. Water throughout the day, not just at meals.
- Oral rehydration salts (ORS) after long sessions, heavy sweating, or any stomach upset — plain water alone doesn’t replace the salts you lose.
- Shade and timing. Ease off between roughly 11am and 3pm when the sun is fiercest.
When you’re too far gone to drink your way back — repeated vomiting, or genuinely wiped out — an IV drip rehydrates you quickly and safely. We do this at the clinic every day during the season, and you’ll be back on your feet in an hour or two.
More in our guides on heat and sun protection and dehydration and IV drips.
Sources & further reading