Hot weather can create more than dehydration. Sweating causes water and sodium loss, while heat-related vasodilation can lower blood pressure. Add alcohol, medications, poor food intake, or excessive plain water and the result may be orthostatic dizziness, hyponatremia, instability, and falls. Learn why older adults are especially vulnerable, which medications increase risk, when electrolyte replacement may matter, and which symptoms require urgent medical evaluation.

Extreme heat and prolonged sweating cause the body to lose more than water. Sodium losses during hiking, exercise, gardening, landscaping, and outdoor work can become substantial. Learn how much salt may be lost through sweat, when water alone is sufficient, when electrolyte replacement becomes important, why drinking too much plain water can also be dangerous, and which symptoms mean it is time to stop self-treatment and seek medical care.

Uric acid is best known for gout, but elevated levels are also associated with hypertension, kidney dysfunction, and cardiovascular risk. Research suggests that uric acid may influence blood pressure through oxidative stress, reduced nitric oxide, renin-angiotensin activation, renal vasoconstriction, and altered sodium handling. Learn how uric acid, kidney function, and hypertension may form a self-reinforcing cycle—and why lowering uric acid is not always the same as lowerin