Dehydration and Health Risks

           Well, summer’s here again. We have just entered the month of April and this year’s summer heat wave already seems to have set in. Along with unbearable heat, excessive sweating, sunburn and tanned skin, summer heat also brings in the risk of dehydration.

Dehydration is the loss of fluids and essential salts from the body. It occurs when you consume less amount of fluids that the actual requirement of your body. Your body requirements of fluids actually shoot up during summers because a lot of fluids and electrolytes are lost through your body due to profuse sweating. However, your body can also get dehydrated with minimal physical activity and in the absence of sweating if you don’t drink adequate amount of water. Here are some complications of dehydration you should be aware about:

1. Muscle cramps: Painful cramps are not just common in athletes, marathon runners and people who work-out a lot. If you’re minimally active and drink insufficient fluids, you’re also equally prone to cramps. Involuntary muscle contraction or spasms occur when the nerves that are connected to your muscles do not have sufficient water and sodium surrounding them. This causes hypersensitivity and involuntarily contraction of muscles.

2. Depression: Your brain is probably the prime organ which requires more amount of water than any other organ of your body. Dehydration or water deficiency in the brain cells results in immediate cut down the brain’s energy supply, leading to lethargy, fatigue and depression. With sub-optimal functioning of the brain cells, you’ll succumb to emotional tribulations.

3.  Constipation: The food you eat gets processed in the small intestine, where the non-essential part of the food is converted to waste and excreted out of the body. If you don’t drink enough water, the intestinal cells start extracting water from the food waste in the intestine. As a result, the stool becomes hard and difficult to pass, resulting in constipation.

4. High blood pressure: Hypertension is common in people who are often dehydrated. When your body cells have to face lack of water, the brain signals the pituitary gland to secrete a chemical called vasopressin, a substance that causes constriction of blood vessels in parts of the system which is dehydrated. Because of constriction of blood vessels the blood pressure increases.

5. Kidney stones and Kidney Damage: Dehydration causes the urine to get concentrated. Minerals from the urine get accumulated and cause crystal formation which gets deposited in the kidneys. When your body has insufficient water, a system that holds on to water gets activated. The system instructs the kidneys to inhibit urine formation and cause tightening of capillaries in areas like the brain and heart. Increased blood pressure and retention of urine in the kidneys leads to kidney damage.

6. Gallstone formation: Similar to blood vessel constriction dehydration or water insufficiency causes constriction of bile ducts in the liver. This directly results in accumulation and concentration of bile resulting in gallstone formation.

7. Joint problems: With less amount of water, your cartilage surfaces brush against each other and causes the cells to worn out and weaken over the time. But, without sufficient water, nutrients for repair and formation of new cells are not transported efficiently. Therefore, dehydration increases the changes of delay its repair, resulting in joint problems.

8. Death: Water amounts for about 60% of your total body weight. Every process of your body needs water. Severe dehydration is therefore fatal.

Although dangerous, dehydration is probably the only condition which can be reversed immediately by re-hydration. Because your body does not have any system to store water, you should always be conscious about drinking water, especially during summers. People who have the habit of quenching their thirst with beverages like tea, coffee and alcohol, may find it difficult to drink water consciously. People who are more inclined to these unhealthy habits may find it difficult to drink water consciously.

But here are some tips that can help you.

1. Calculate your water needs: Don’t blindly follow the ’8-glass’ water rule. Excess water intake can have some dangerous effects on your body. And, your actual body requirement of water could vary depending on your weight, climate you live in, physical activity you perform etc. So it’s better to first calculate your required water intake. You can easily check it using an online water intake calculator.

2. Drink gradually: There’s no point in loading your body with excessive amount of water at once. It’s not going to stay in your body. In fact, your kidneys will have to work overtime to get rid of that excess water. So, instead of gulping 2-3 glasses of water at once, sip water every 10-15 minutes. This helps your body to stay hydrated consistently and regulates all your body processes.

3. Never let water out of your sight: If you keep looking at it you’ll probably remember to drink water. Always keep a bottle of water at your desk where you work, or around you at all times — this way you will never forget to have a drink of water.

4. Eat your water: Including fruits and vegetables having foods with high-water content, is a smarter way to boost your water intake. The best options are water melon and strawberries, which contain 92 percent water per volume. Other fruits and vegetables like oranges, mosambi, grapes, cherries, tomatoes, spinach and radish are also great substitutes to a glass of plain water.

5. Quench your thirst with coconut water: Summer’s already creeping in and nothing can be more soothing, refreshing and comforting than coconut water. It is cheaper than hydrating fruits and vegetables. And apart from its 94 percent water content, it will also gives you plenty of electrolytes along with small amounts of carbohydrates and sugar.

6. Hydrate as you exercise: Your body loses a lot of water while you’re exercising, which needs to be replenished before you dehydrate greatly. Don’t forget to take water breaks. Don’t gulp water at once, take small, intermittent sips. After your workout is over, if you prefer drinking something flavoured after a grueling workout regime, try re-hydrating yourself by drinking a glass of fresh fruit juice.

                                  “If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?”