It is very important to keep yourself hydrated. Dehydration can happen in several different ways.
Dehydration is when we lose more fluid than we take into our bodies. It is recommended to drink four to six glasses of water per day, depending on our active lifestyle. It’s obvious that we can get dehydrated from not drinking enough water and from sweating too much. But sometimes dehydration comes in other mysterious ways.
Here is a list of 10 things that can cause dehydration, and how you can stay hydrated.
Alcohol
Your brain does not send its usual signals to your kidneys when you drink alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the more it disrupts the brain function that tells your kidneys when to produce urine and when to stop. Therefore, you end up losing much more fluid from your body than you would have if you were not drinking alcohol. For every shot of alcohol that you drink, your kidneys will produce around 120 milliliters of urine in addition to the normal 60 to 80 milliliters that it already produces per hour. This is why you get headaches the next day.
For every cocktail you drink, it’s wise to have an extra glass of water. Not only will it help with dehydration, but it will also help with hangovers too!
Medications
Some type of medications will cause dehydration. Diuretics, mostly known as water pills, are designed to remove water and salt from the body. Usually, they are prescribed to people that have heart or blood pressure problems. Laxatives can cause dehydration when used for a long period of time or when used too often. Chemotherapy medication also can cause dehydration because of its side effects which including vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating.
Sodium
Foods that are high in sodium (salt) such as foods that are processed, like canned soups, fried foods, or frozen meals, can lead to several health issues, including dehydration. It is important to drink water after you’ve had a salty meal or snack and you’re feeling thirsty. If you don’t, the lack of water could force the body to draw out water from other cells, leading to dehydration.
Air travel
The humidity in a plane is very low, causing you to be dehydrated inside and out. The alcoholic beverages that some people may consume on the plane to calm them down or to help them fall asleep can contribute to the dehydration.
Drinking water and moisturizing your skin should help, but many people hold off on drinking too much so they don’t have to get up to use the bathroom. To avoid getting dehydrated, you must drink a lot of water even if it means disrupting the people in your row.
Menstruation
Cramps are not the only issue when you get your period. Along with the blood, you lose a lot of fluid, which leads to dehydration. This is why you may feel weak when you get your period. Drinking extra water and some electrolytes when you’re menstruating will help you feel less weak. If you drink hot water, the cramps should go away.
Stress
The effects of stress reach further then you could possibly imagine, including depleting fluid from your body. When you’re under a consistent flow of stress, your adrenal glands pump out stress hormones which become exhausting on your adrenals. This disrupts the adrenals’ ability to produce aldosterone, which is a hormone that helps regulate electrolytes and fluid. Thus, dehydration occurs.
High Altitudes
Being exposed to high altitudes can lead to dehydration. At a high altitude, there is less pressure making it difficult for oxygen to enter our vascular systems so we breathe deeper and faster. Sweat evaporates more quickly, due to the low humidity, causing us to lose more fluid. It’s wise to drink an extra 1 to 2 liters of water every day that you are at that high altitude.
Not enough fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are naturally hydrating, containing Up to 90% water. Eating them often can prevent you from becoming dehydrated. The most hydrating fruits and vegetables include watermelon, strawberries, blackberries, grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches, bell peppers, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, spinach, and zucchini.
Breastfeeding
There’s a lot of good stuff in breast milk, including electrolytes. The loss of electrolytes can cause dehydration in the woman that is breastfeeding. In addition to causing dehydration, it can also reduce the production of breast milk.
Vomiting and diarrhea
Whether you’ve had too much alcohol, food poisoning or a stomach virus all of these can lead to dehydration. When accompanied by a fever, the risks are higher because the body sweats. It’s very important to drink double or triple the amount of water than you normally need to.
What you thought may have been dehydrating you
Caffeine is a mild diuretic, causing you to have to urinate. However, a study found that the belief that caffeine causes dehydration is actually a myth. The fluid lost due to caffeine is balanced out with the liquid that is consumed while drinking that caffeinated beverage. So you can drink your cup of coffee guilty free.
How do you know if you are dehydrated?
- The symptoms of dehydration for adults are extreme thirst, infrequent urination, dark-colored urine, fatigue, low blood pressure, dizziness, and confusion.
- Urine is a great indicator of whether you are hydrated. The clearer it is, the more hydrated you are. The darker, more yellow colored urine, means you are dehydrated and you need to start drinking up that water!
Tips On How Can You Stay Hydrated
- Making a habit to drink water as soon as you wake up is wise. You are likely to already be dehydrated when you wake up because you haven’t consumed any water in the past seven to eight hours.
- Have a portable water bottle with you everywhere you go, so that you can easily drink and refill anytime you need.
- Set reminders for yourself to drink water. It’s easy to forget to drink water, so, set alarms if you have to or stick notes on the fridge.
- Adding electrolytes to your water will bring your body back to its proper hydration. Although, if you’re having symptoms of dehydration even after you’ve replenished yourself with water and electrolytes, then you should get medical help.
Did you know?
The older we get, our kidneys can’t conserve water as easily. Many times older people feel weak, but actually, they are just dehydrated. Perhaps this happens because as you get older the urge to drink water is not as strong. So it’s important to remember, when you get to that age, to drink plenty of water even if you are not feeling thirsty.
