Ah the lazy, hazy days of summer in southern Illinois. It is a time marked by outdoor concerts, heading to the spillway and dehydration.
Dehydration? Yes, dehydration - a condition that affects approximately 75 percent of Americans. You have probably experienced symptoms of dehydration at some point in your life but may not have realized it.
Dehydration is a medical condition that occurs when the body does not receive adequate amounts of liquids, it loses too much fluid or both. We lose approximately 10 cups of water per day due to respiration, perspiration and eliminating wastes from the body. The body needs to replenish this lost fluid since it is responsible for keeping many systems running efficiently. Some of these systems include regulating temperature, lubricating the joints, flushing toxins out of the body and transporting energy to cells. Basically, every chemical reaction in the body occurs in a water medium.
The effects of dehydration can range from mild to severe, some even leading to death. Mild dehydration occurs when there is a 2 percent loss of body weight from fluid loss and symptoms include mild thirst, headache, loss of muscle strength, dizziness and lightheadedness. It is thought to be the leading cause of daytime fatigue. There is also a decrease in urination. When urination does occur, it is usually a smaller amount, a darker color and has a strong scent.
Relying on the thirst sensation to signal the need to drink is not advised since it is often activated after the body is already dehydrated. Almost one third of people do not have a strong thirst signal and some mistake the signal to drink as sign that it is time to eat. More severe symptoms of advanced dehydration consist of muscle cramps, increased heart rate, respiration and body temperature, and a decrease in urination and sweating. Immediate medical attention is needed when symptoms progress to muscle spasms, vomiting, uncomfortable urination, confusion, difficulty breathing, seizures, chest pain, confusion and fainting.
Determining just how much fluid is needed to stay hydrated is a much-debated topic in the health field. There are conditions that increase water needs, such as a hot climate, exercising, drinking alcohol and breast feeding. The standard advice of eight cups a day was loosely based on replacing the 10 cups of water the body loses every day (the remaining two cups would come from food). This approach is no longer advised across the board.
The Institute of Medicine suggests that men consume 13 cups and women nine cups of fluid daily. Another recommendation is to take your weight in pounds and divide it by two and the remaining number is how many fluid ounces needed per day. To ensure that you are getting enough fluids, monitor your urine output. If it is light yellow or clear, does not have a strong scent and is a large volume, then you are probably drinking enough fluids.
Drinking water is the ideal way to meet hydration needs. We get approximately 20 percent of our needs met through the water in food. Milk and most fruit juices are almost 100 percent water (by weight). Beverages such as coffee, tea, (diet) soda and sports drinks can contribute towards your fluid intake, but in smaller amounts since these beverages may contain calories and some have a mild diuretic effect.
So drink up! Water, that is.
