Hydration - Good for Your Patients and Your Health Care Career

A career in health care requires high energy and a healthy body to maintain your momentum. Those long hours and sudden crises can take their toll if you don't make time to care for yourself first. This is why staying hydrated is so important! Drinking sufficient amounts of water each day will help prevent illnesses that could impair your performance while working in your physician's offices or on the emergency room floor.

HYDRATION IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART

According to the American Heart Association, drinking enough water each day helps to thin your blood so your heart doesn't have to pump as hard to maintain your circulatory system. And when the blood is reaching your muscles in a timely fashion, they're easier to use and much more reliable. Have you ever felt that afternoon slump that makes your feet slow down and your arms feel like limp fettuccine? It's difficult to help move a patient when you can barely move. A simple bottle of refreshing water could be the cure.

HYDRATION HELPS PREVENT HEADACHES

There's nothing worse than struggling through a lengthy 12-hour shift than when you have a headache to rival all headaches. Dehydration is often a factor in headaches. It can even trigger migraines. Nobody wants to try and endure a work day with one of those banging around inside your skull. There are several theories as to why dehydration contributes to pain inside your head, but it's generally agreed that losing too much of your body's water is a bad thing. It thickens the blood and contributes to the build-up of pressure inside your organs - including your brain. This often results in a headache.

Happily, there's an easy-enough cure - stop by the water fountain every time you have the opportunity. This will make it much easier to concentrate on your patient's symptoms instead of on your own.

HYDRATION HELPS PREVENT HALITOSIS

Few factors will negatively impact your patients more than your own halitosis. Halitosis, or bad breath, can be a symptom of many problems. But one of the most simple solutions is to stay hydrated. A dry mouth can harbor food particles and bacteria that need to be washed away. What's the easiest remedy? Drink some water. You can boost your immunity to halitosis by keeping a stash of breath mints or hard candies on hand as well.

Taking the time to stop and smell the flowers was never as important as taking the time to stop and take a drink of water - especially for busy health care professional. This is one career choice that requires you to be at your best for extended periods of time. And the solution is easy: You can increase your energy levels and stave off discomfort simply by staying hydrated.

When you're ready to drink up all that Concorde has to offer, take a look at our comprehensive list of health care programs to see which quenches your educational thirst.