Dehydration
(hypohydration) in simple terms: is the excessive loss of body water,
with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes.
It is
literally the removal of water from an object; however, in
physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an
organism.
Taken from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydration
I
am not going to get into the nitty gritty details of what dehydration
is, the different types, what causes it or how it actually occurs.
If
you want that info Goggle it, or I suggest this page :
http://www.hydration.net.au/page/shop/info_page/a/infopage_id/e/46
is a great resource tool!!
But I will tell you that dehydration
can occur due to many different reasons, some of them not easily
apparent .
Instead
I am going to by-pass all of that and skip straight to symptoms of
dehydration, chronic dehydration and how to treat it!!
Someone
who is chronically dehydrated at a point somewhere between normal and
the mild dehydration may even be able to develop a tolerance for that
state so that it becomes the “new normal” for them. Suffice to
say that any level of dehydration can and will lead to long term
consequences if left unadressed.
The
initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when
the body is depleted by about 2% of total fluid. In this mild
dehydration state symptoms are:
Thirst
Reduced
Appetite (often despite a lengthy period without food)
Skin
Flushing (especially face and neck)
Dark
Coloured Urine (may be confused by supplement use or some foods)
Dry
Mouth (and difficulty producing saliva)
Fatigue
Mild
headache
Chills
Dizziness
At
this point sometimes simple consumption of hydrating fluid will
generally arrest any further development of symptoms.
If
the dehydration is allowed to continue to develop so that fluid loss
reaches 5% of total fluid the following symptoms of significant
dehydration are evidenced:
Decreased
sweating and urination
Increased
heart rate, respiration and body temperature
Extreme
fatigue
Muscle
cramps and Rheumatism
Severe
headaches
Shrivelled
and dry skin
Nausea,
constipation and digestive Disorders
Rise in cholesterol levels
Cystitis
and Urinary Infections
Neurosensory
disturbances (tingling, numbness)
At
this point simple consumption of significant amounts of hydrating
fluid may arrest any further development of symptoms but often
medical care and intravenous fluid are required.
When
10% of body fluid is lost immediate emergency help is required and in
many cases this level of fluid loss is fatal. The symptoms of severe
dehydration include:
Muscle
spasms
Vomiting
Rapid
pulse
Dim
vision or temporary blindness
Painful
urination with very low urine volume
Confusion
Respiratory
depression
Neuromuscular
seizures
Chest
pain
Gastritis,
Stomach Ulcers
Unconsciousness
Without
immediate medical care including intravenous fluid, and other
strategies to minimise organ damage, fatality or significant loss of
organ function is almost certain.
The
treatment for minor dehydration, often considered the first port of
call, is drinking water and stopping fluid loss.
Plain
water restores only the volume of the blood plasma, reducing the
thirst mechanism so the hydration levels can be replenished.
Solid
foods can contribute to fluid loss from vomiting and diarrhea.
In
mild to sever cases of dehydration you need to replenish both water
and electrolyte levels (through oral rehydration or fluid replacement
by intravenous therapy).
This
can be done by consuming clear fluids such as
water; clear
broths; frozen water;
sports
drinks (though you should look at the sugar levels!! It will make you
more dehydrated)
electrolyte
mixed drinks or ice pops (though you should check your blood results
for potassium levels and sodium levels- if sodium levels are up maybe
skip the pre-mixed electrolytes);
Coconut
water re-hydrates more efficiently than water, has higher potassium
levels than a banana, and has equal to or more electrolytes than
pre-mixed specific electrolyte drinks;
Chamomile
tea is an old favourite. Decaffeinated teas are an excellent choice
when it comes to fluid replacement. Chamomile has the added benefit
of being a natural pain reliever so it also helps relieve the stomach
cramps that often accompany dehydration;
As well as consuming :
Bananas
have great water content and are especially good for restoring
potassium that has vanished with dehydration;
You
can also try watery fruits such as cantaloupe, watermelon and
strawberries. Watery vegetables such as cucumbers are good, too.
For
severe cases of dehydration where fainting, unconsciousness, or other
severely inhibiting symptom is present (the subject is incapable of
standing or thinking clearly), and emergency attention is required.
Fluids containing a proper balance of replacement electrolytes
are given orally or intravenously with continuing assessment of
electrolyte status; complete resolution is the norm in all but the
most extreme cases.
People
who are dehydrated should avoid drinks containing caffeine such as
coffee, caffeinated tea, and sodas.
…...........................................................................................
I
personally chow down on bananas, A LOT of them!!!
And I looked
into how to best replenish my electrolyte levels without affecting my
pre-exisiting health conditions or making my dehydration worse... for
me the pre-mixed electrolyte drinks, ice pops and sports drinks are a
BIG HELL NO- they have waaayyy too much sugar in them, but also the
sodium levels are too high.
Being chronically dehydrated for an
extended period of time has driven up my sodium levels and severely
depleted my potassium levels- HUZZAH!
So the best thing for me is
coconut water and lots of it!!!
As well as drinking at least 2-3
ltrs of water a day.
At this point in time we are still not
entirely sure what is causing my dehydration; we think it is most
likely medication based.
But until we know for sure we cannot
treat the cause of the problem, only the symptoms- even when we do
know we may not be able to do anything about it as the medication in
question is a vital one in the treatment of my IIH!!
ANYWHO...
below are some yummy electrolyte drink recipes I snagged and
minimally adapted from Everyday Roots.
Make
Your Own Electrolyte Energy Drinks...
Lay-Low
Recipe
1/4
cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4
cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1
1/2 to 2 cups coconut water
2
tablespoons agave or honey, to taste
Method:
Toss
everything into a food blender and blend until the honey is
dissolved, or just use some elbow grease and blend it by hand. Pour
yourself a tall glass, drop in a few ice cubes, and enjoy.
Bright
‘n Early Recipe
1/4
cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4
cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1
1/2 to 2 cups of coconut water
2
tablespoons agave or honey, to taste
Method:
Same
as above. You can halve or double the recipe as you need, and feel
free to experiment with flavours. Keep in mind citrus fruits,
especially orange, are a good source of electrolytes.
Sweet
and Smooth-ie recipe
3
cups of coconut water
1
cup of strawberries
1
cup of ice
2
tablespoons agave r or honey, to taste
Method:
Throw
into you blender and let it run until everything is thoroughly mixed
together and the mixture is smooth.
If
the dehydration is allowed to continue to develop so that fluid loss
reaches 5% of total fluid the following symptoms of significant
dehydration are evidenced:
