While the thermometer panics, the body constantly struggles to maintain its temperature at 37°C. This thermal regulation involves perspiration, a massive loss of water that must be compensated for.
If we often think of the feeling of thirst to remind us of order, our oral cavity sends signals much earlier and more subtle. Knowing how to decode them can avoid serious medical complications.
When saliva becomes the mirror of our hydration
The first reflex in case of extreme heat is to check the condition of your mouth. A change in the texture or quantity of saliva is never trivial when temperatures rise.
Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of True Medical, explains this mechanism to us.
“A dry mouth or dry tongue, sometimes with thicker or less abundant saliva: this is a classic sign of dehydration which can appear before more serious signs.”
In practice, our body seeks to save water where it can to reserve it for vital organs such as the heart or the brain. Saliva production is therefore one of the first functions to slow down.
Warning signs of more advanced dehydration
Dry mouth is a first warning, but it rarely remains isolated if lack of water sets in. You must know how to link this symptom to other physical manifestations to assess the seriousness of the situation.
“During a heatwave, if this is accompanied by intense thirst, rarer and darker urine, unusual fatigue, headaches, dizziness or confusion, you should consider more advanced dehydration.warns the emergency doctor. The appearance of these symptoms means that the body begins to critically draw on its reserves.
Fragile people: constant vigilance
We are not all equal when it comes to heat. In infants and seniors, thirst mechanisms are often altered or expressed differently, which makes the diagnosis more complex for those around them.
“In the elderly, babies and young children, these signs may be less obvious or appear more quickly, so a dry mouth should never be trivialized.”insists the medical director of True Medical.
Active monitoring of the mouths of the most fragile is therefore recommended, even if they do not spontaneously ask for a drink.
Good reflexes and the key moment to call 15
Faced with a pasty or dry mouth in the middle of summer, the reaction must be immediate, but graduated depending on the person’s general condition.
Dr Gérald Kierzek reminds us of the actions to take.
“In practice, the mouth is a good indicator because it quickly reflects the lack of water in the body: less saliva, more dryness, and sometimes more pronounced breath. This sign alone is not enough to make a diagnosis, but in periods of heat it must reinforce hydration and monitoring, especially in fragile people.”
However, if the situation changes, you must not waste time. “If the person no longer drinks well, becomes drowsy, has behavioral problems, vomits, or seems very weak, you must react quickly and seek urgent medical help, by calling 15″.