How To Prevent Dehydration
The amount of water you should drink in a day depends on various factors like age, sex, weather, activity level and many more. You should drink enough water throughout the day to stay hydrated. It can also help you prevent weight gain. Enough fluid intake will allow your body to function properly and help you get rid of toxins.
Not just water, include other fluids to your diet as well. Also, add more fruits and vegetables which have high water content to your diet.
Signs Of Severe Dehydration And How To Treat It
Chances are you suffer from chronic dehydration. After all, show that over 75% of Americans do. Thats close to 246 million people.
While dehydration is common, it doesnt look the same in everyone. Its signs and symptoms can vary depending on the person affected, as well as the severity of the condition. Infants and children, as well as the elderly, are at increased risk for dehydration. Plus, what doctors classify as a mild to moderate case of dehydration varies from severe dehydration.
Catching it early is key to proper dehydration treatment and prevention of a more serious case that could become life-threatening.
How Do I Prevent Dehydration
Exactly how much water do you need? That depends on your weight, age, level of activity, age, the climate of your environment and other factors. Those with diabetes, heart disease, cystic fibrosis and other conditions may need to be cautious. The amount of water you need can also depend on the climate and what clothes youre wearing. Although the standard advice is eight glasses of water per day , talk to your healthcare provider to confirm the right amount for you.
Keep track of how much fluid you drink. Drink water throughout the day, including at meals. Avoid soda, alcohol and caffeinated drinks. One way to make sure you are properly hydrated is to check your urine. If its clear, pale or straw-colored, its OK. If its darker than that, keep drinking!
To avoid dehydration, active people people playing a sport or exercising should drink at least 16 to 20 ounces of fluids one to two hours before an outdoor activity. After that, you should consume six to 12 ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes when youre outside. When you are finished with the activity, you should drink more. How much more? To replace what you have lost: at least another 16 to 24 ounces.
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B The Effects Of Water Consumption On Overall Energy Intake
There is an extensive literature that focuses on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on weight and risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease however the perspective of providing more water and its impact on health has not been examined. The water literature does not address portion sizes but rather focuses mainly on water ad libitum or in selected portions compared with other caloric beverages. Elsewhere we have prepared a detailed meta-analysis of the effects of water intake alone , replacing sugar-sweetened beverages, juice, milk and diet beverages.
In general, the results of this review suggest that water, when replacing sugar-sweetened beverages, juice and milk is linked with reduced energy intake. This comes mainly from the clinical feeding studies but also from one very good random controlled school intervention and several other epidemiological and intervention studies. Aside from portion sizes, there are issues of timing of the beverage intake and meals and types of caloric sweeteners that remain to be considered. However when beverages are consumed in a normal free-living situations where 58 eating occasions are the norm, the delay time from the beverage to the meal may matter less.
Blood Pressure And Dehydration: What Is The Relation
When you are dehydrated, you can experience a drop in blood pressure. It happens because lack of fluids can cause decrease in blood volume. The amount of fluid circulating in your blood vessels is called blood volume. Low blood pressure can decrease the amount of oxygen and blood your organs receive.
Low blood pressure or when you are suffering from dehydration you may also experience dizziness, nausea, dry mouth or tiredness.
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Your Pain Threshold Is Lower
The brain is also responsible for nervous reactions to pain, and research has found that dehydration causes the brain to be more sensitive to it. Arthritic pain also increases when you are lacking water because fluids lubricate the joints, providing a cushion between the bones. This cushion absorbs shock and provides joint nutrition, as well. Nearly 80 percent of joint cartilage is made of water.
Thankfully, there is a really easily solution to dehydration: drink some water! In fact, it doesn’t even have to be water. Foods like fruits and juicy vegetables can provide hydration, and liquids that aren’t caffeinated or alcoholic can also help.
While drinking more water will help in most situations, make sure you get medical help if your symptoms become severe or include stomach cramping, fainting, seizures, heatstroke or hallucinations.
Darlena Cunha is a freelance writer and a professor at the University of Florida, with degrees in communications and ecology.
How Is Dehydration Diagnosed
Dont forget that if you feel thirsty, youre already dehydrated. Thats the easiest way to tell that you need more fluids.
Laboratory tests can also diagnose dehydration. Tests include:
- Low urine sodium concentration.
- Elevated plasma serum osmolality. This measures how concentrated some particles are in your blood plasma.
- Elevated creatinine. This tests kidney function.
- Elevated blood urea nitrogen. This also relates to kidney function.
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Dehydration Heart And High Blood Pressure: Trio Explained
The heart plays a central role in pumping and transferring blood throughout the body. Just like other systems, the cardiovascular system carries out the majority of its functions through the water.
Dehydration or lack of adequate fluids in the body straight away hampers the blood flow. The blood volume lowers down.
Accordingly, the heart has to work more in order to pump blood thus increasing the heart rate. The higher sodium content in a dehydrated bloodstream causes capillaries to close and blood pressure to increase.
What Causes Low Blood Pressure
The cause of low blood pressure isn’t always clear. It may be associated with the following:
- Pregnancy
- Severe dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea, or fever
- A reaction to medication or alcohol
- A severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis that causes an irregular heartbeat
Who Gets Postural Hypotension?
Postural hypotension, which is low blood pressure when standing up suddenly, can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons, such as dehydration, lack of food, or being overly fatigued. It can also be influenced by genetic make-up, aging, medication, dietary and psychological factors, and acute triggers, such as infection and allergy.
Postural hypotension occurs most frequently in people who are taking drugs to control high blood pressure . It can also be related to pregnancy, strong emotions, hardening of the arteries , or diabetes. The elderly are particularly affected, especially those who have high blood pressure or autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
Hypotension after meals is a common cause of dizziness and falls after eating. This is most common after large meals containing a lot of carbohydrates. Itâs believed to be caused by blood pooling into the vessels of the stomach and intestines.
Several drugs are commonly associated with postural hypotension. These medications can be divided into two major categories:
Common causes of naturally occurring postural hypotension include:
Certain diseases can also cause postural hypotension. These include:
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Insufficient Sleep Affects More Than Your Energy
From your family life to your work life to everything in between, it can be a legitimate challenge to get enough sleep every night. In fact, 11% of adults admit to not getting enough sleep nightly . But before you reach for another cup of coffee or an energy drink, you might want to consider thinking of more long-term solutions to your sleep patterns, or else your blood pressure could be at risk.
A 2009 sleep study published in Archives of Internal Medicine examined the potential effects of insufficient sleep on blood pressure. After measuring the length and quality of sleep and blood pressure of hundreds of study participants, researchers noted higher levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in participants with shorter sleep duration. The study also found higher blood pressure readings to be more consistent in men than women.
A Full Bladder May Lead To Higher Blood Pressure
Not being able to empty your bladder when youre stuck in traffic during your commute or participating in an important work event is one of the most uncomfortable feelings. But its also not great for your health.
If you are not urinating and youre retaining urine, it can cause metabolic abnormalities and electrolyte issues, which can lead to long term renal failure. Usually I recommend that you empty your bladder every three hours, whether you have the urge to go or not, urologist Nazia Bandukwala told Piedmont Healthcare. Other potential problems from holding in urine that Dr. Bandukwala points out are an enlarged prostate in men, a urinary tract infection, urinary incontinence, and even a ruptured bladder.
If that doesnt make you want to hit the nearest restroom, scientific research linking full bladders to high blood pressure might. A 2011 study published in the Korean Journal of Family Medicine studied middle-aged women, specifically. Researchers found that after the women held their bladder for at least three hours after emptying it, both their diastolic and systolic blood pressure increased. Take it as a reason to convince your boss that regular potty breaks are a must for your health.
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How Do I Get Myself And My Loved Ones To Drink More Water
- Carry a water bottle with you. Keep it filled!
- Choose water instead of sugary drinks, including at meals.
- Add flavor. A wedge of lime or lemon might make it tastier, and more fun! You can also try some flavored drink mixes, but watch out for the sugar!
- Eat foods that are high in water content. Many soups, fruits and vegetables meet this description.
- If you dont like drinking a lot of water at once, try smaller doses spread out throughout the day.
What Is Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat illness and is a life-threatening emergency. It is the result of long, extreme exposure to the sun. In this case, a person does not sweat enough to lower body temperature. The elderly, infants, persons who work outdoors, people with mental illness, obesity, poor circulation, and those on certain types of medicines or drinking alcohol are most susceptible to heat stroke. It is a condition that develops rapidly and needs immediate medical treatment.
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Cardiovascular Regulation During Orthostatic Stress
Orthostatic stress in humans occurs during daily life when posture changes from the supine or seated positions to the standing position. Approximately 500 mL of blood pools in lower body venous circulation immediately upon changing from the supine to the upright position . To maintain BP and adequate cerebral perfusion upon standing, the body relies on rapid baroreflex-mediated increases in heart rate and MSNA. Without appropriate mechanisms to regulate BP during standing, there is an increased risk of syncope , which can result in an injury. While estimates vary among epidemiological studies, it has been reported that approximately ~10% of the population is orthostatic intolerant, defined as having significant drops in systolic and/or diastolic BP upon standing . As a result of the obvious health concerns of syncope and head injuries, there has been a great amount of investigations aimed to determine the internal and external factors that contribute to orthostatic intolerance because it is associated with adverse cardiovascular health outcomes . For more details regarding the prognosis and treatment of orthostatic intolerance, the reader is directed to the following review article .
Dehydration In Elderly People: Risks Warning Signs And Prevention Tips
Did you know that the consequences of dehydration in elderly adults are often seriousmore so than in younger people? Seniors also have more risk factors for becoming dehydrated. But here’s the good news: Dehydration can be easily prevented. Awareness is the first step in avoiding the health problems that can be caused by a lack of fluids.
But many people don’t realize just how problematic dehydration can be for older adultsand how common it really is. Take a look at these facts:
- According to a review article in e-SPEN, the European e-Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, one study showed that about 31 percent of long-term care patients were found to be dehydrated.
- Treating elderly people who are hospitalized for dehydration costs the medical system about $1.36 billion annually, according to an article in Nutrition and Healthy Aging.
- Dehydrated patients are six times more likely to die in the hospital than patients who are not dehydrated, according to a study in Age and Ageing.
This article explains why older people are at greater risk for becoming dehydrated. It also lists the consequences of dehydration in the elderly. As well, you’ll learn how to spot the warning signs of dehydration and discover what to do if you or a loved one experiences symptoms.
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Will Dehydration Cause Dizziness
If youre dehydrated, you may start to feel dizzy. This feeling can cause you to also experience lightheadedness, wooziness, fairness and unsteadiness. You may also experience a very specific form of dizziness called vertigo. If youre dealing with vertigo, you may feel like everything around you is spinning.
Can Dehydration Affect A Kidney Values Test
Yes. Two of the most common tests for evaluating kidney function and diagnosing kidney disease are the blood urea nitrogen test and creatinine test. Both tests measure the amount of waste product in the blood higher volumes of BUN and creatinine indicate that the kidneys are not working properly. Dehydration is known to reduce blood flow to the kidneys and elevate creatinine and BUN levels in the blood.
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When To See A Doctor
Since many people dont show symptoms a regular check-up is the best method. However, people under the high-risk group should see a doctor frequently and the high-risk group includes:
- People with overweight or obesity
- African Americans
- A family history of high blood pressure
- People with few health conditions
- people aged over 40
Since now you know the answer for can dehydration causes high blood pressure and heart rate it is better to keep your body hydrated in addition to following a healthy lifestyle to prevent high blood pressure.
Sudheendra is a passionate blogger for 8 years and holds a Degree in Journalism & Mass Communications. His writings particularly focus on health, medicine, diet & lifestyle. For him, everything that interlinks and relates to health & medical world entices him. His write-ups aim at educating people not by just giving facts but by infusing human touch.
Blood Pressure And Dehydration
Dehydration as we know of, is the loss of fluid in the body in excess. This leads to many health concerns. It makes the body lose energy and causes fatigue. Among the many more disorders that emerge as a result of dehydration, imbalance in the levels of blood pressure is one, that we will discuss. Blood pressure can be described as the pressure during the circulation of blood on the blood vessels. Each heartbeat has an interpretation with a low and high level unit of the blood pressure. These readings describe the high and low of the blood pressure. How does the rate of blood flow get affected due to loss of water? We will understand what exactly happens and how dehydration affects the blood pressure.
Severe dehydration can cause a life-threatening condition called hypovolemic shock, which is a result of the sudden drop in blood volume that causes sudden low blood pressure. This prevents the oxygen from reaching the tissues, which is a serious complication.
With so many complications interlinked with dehydration. It is wise to take preventive measures, and that too the most simple and easy one that is â drink plenty of water! Most of the research hints at maximum number of cases of dehydration, leading to blood pressure issues. So why take the risk to aggregate dehydration and blood pressure. Move on to the natural treatment of water, treat your body with its abundant consumption!
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Whos At Risk Of Becoming Dehydrated
Anyone can become dehydrated if they dont take care of themselves and drink water. However, infants and children, especially when theyre sick, are at a higher risk because they may be unable to communicate that theyre thirsty. Monitor the amount of fluids your kids take in.
Older adults are also at a higher risk. Their bodys fluid reserves shrink and their bodys ability to tell them theyre thirsty doesnt work as effectively. This means they dont carry as much water in their bodies and they cant tell as easily when theyre thirsty. If youre a caretaker of an elderly individual, especially one who may have memory problems, offer them drinks frequently. Even if theyre enduring an uncomfortable infection like a UTI , they still need to consume liquids.
Signs Of Dehydration In Elderly People
It’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration. In elderly people, the effects of being dehydrated can progress quickly, so you must act fast if you suspect dehydration.
As well, symptoms of dehydration in the elderly are often progressive. In the initial stages, you can tell if an elderly person is dehydrated by checking for the following signs of mild dehydration:
- Cracked lips
- Dry skin, particularly in the armpits
- Less frequent urination than normal
More severe effects of dehydration in the elderly are:
- Dark-colored urine
- Strong-smelling urine
- Headaches
- Fainting
However, it’s important to keep this in mind: Dehydration symptoms in adults who are in their senior years aren’t always clear-cut. For example, some medications can affect the color of urine. As well, although dehydration can cause hallucinations in the elderly, cognitive changes from dementia or even side effects from certain medications are also sometimes responsible for the experience of perceiving things that aren’t there.
So how can you identify potential dehydration?
Here’s one good strategy: If you experience any of the symptoms above, simply drink some water, then see if the symptoms improve in 10 to 15 minutes.
You should go to the ER for dehydration when you or the elderly person in question is experiencing any confusion, unexplained irritability, or sleepiness.
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