How Do You Know If You Are Dehydrated?

We learned this little fact in middle school and then time and again that water is life. That the human body can go without food for even a week, but without water even 48 hours will be excruciatingly painful. Why? Well, because human body is 70% water. All our organs need water to do their thing. Have you ever notice that even blood is aqueous in nature, like water? Exactly!

This is why we need to keep ourselves hydrated as most fitness experts and doctors advice us. For all those fitness Nazis out there, it the most crucial bit of dietary knowledge you’d ever come across. Dehydration is the most common roadblock when it comes to workout.

Whatever you do, may it be your early morning jog or a gym session. Even taking a casual stroll down the block is going or sitting in front of computer, as you are right now, you are going to require water, and loads of it. Thus imagine what your life would be like, how much will you be missing out on it if you are not properly hydrated. This is right about the part where you ask – How would we even know when we are dehydrated?

That is when, my friends, we come into the picture. To solve this itty bitty problem, we asked our favourite exercise physiologist from Kansas City, Greg Justice, to help us out.

According to him, if....

Your Pee is Extra Yellow:

Okay, even I admit that this little piece of information is very icky, but very very true at the same time. As I am pretty sure that you are well aware of this fact that your urine is supposed to be pale yellow. Now, pale yellow urine is usually the sign of a very healthy, very hydrated body.

On the other hand if the urine is too yellow, like on the verge of being practically brown and causes inflammation while well... you know, well in that case it means that the urine is over-concentrated with toxins. This happens when toxins do not have ample of water to be easily secreted out of the body. Thus this one is a clear, tell tale sign of dehydration.

Watch out for it.

You Have a Headache:

Remember biology class in high school? Yes the one we all usually loved to hate. Well, there we learned something like “When seeps down from water-logged soil, it takes mineral nutrients like potassium and calcium along with it”. Something similar goes down in our bodies too.

But you all already knew that didn’t you? That unless we are like drinking water nonstop, practically chugging it 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our body is going to lose it one way or another. That not only means loss of water, but also the loss of essential elements like potassium and sodium too, along with water.

Now loss of water can be compensated by drinking more water, but the thing is that loss of essential salts is not that easy to compensate. Why? Well, because salts come through the food we eat and they are returned to the blood stream once the food we consume is digested. Now here is the thing – Before the salt loss is compensated, the chemical composition of our blood changes and this is change in the chemical balance our brain.

Since our brain is sensitive to such a chemical change, its first go-to temper tantrum like response is to cause a headache. Depending on the amount of water lost and the salts that bid our body adieu along with it, the headaches keep getting worse.

Thus all in all remember this:

• More water loss.
• Volume of water in blood drops.
• Flow of oxygen to the brain decreases.
• Blood vessels dilate.
• Headache gets worst.

Causes of Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluids than it takes in. This imbalance can lead to a range of health problems, as proper hydration is essential for the normal functioning of your body. Common causes of dehydration include:

• Inadequate Fluid Intake: Not drinking enough water or other fluids is one of the most common causes of dehydration. It can happen when you're not consuming a sufficient amount of liquids, especially in hot or dry climates or during strenuous physical activity.
• Excessive Sweating: Sweating is a natural way for your body to cool down, but excessive sweating, such as during intense physical activity or in hot weather, can lead to significant fluid loss.
• Diarrhea: Diarrhea can lead to a rapid loss of fluids and electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium) from your body, which can result in dehydration. This is particularly problematic in cases of infectious gastroenteritis.
• Vomiting: Frequent vomiting can also cause a loss of fluids and electrolytes. It's important to replace these losses, especially in cases of severe or prolonged vomiting.
• Fever: High body temperatures, such as those associated with a fever, can increase your body's fluid requirements and lead to dehydration.
• Diabetes: People with diabetes, particularly if it's uncontrolled, may have increased urination (polyuria) and are at a higher risk of dehydration.
• Medications: Some medications, such as diuretics (water pills) and certain blood pressure medications, can increase urination and lead to dehydration.
• Alcohol and Caffeine: Both alcohol and caffeine have diuretic effects, which means they can increase urination and lead to fluid loss.
• Aging: As people age, their sense of thirst may decrease, making them less aware of their fluid needs, which can lead to dehydration.
• Illness: Some illnesses, such as kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, and certain types of cancer, can increase the risk of dehydration.
• Environmental Conditions: Extremely hot or dry weather conditions can cause increased sweating and fluid loss, making it easier to become dehydrated.
• High Altitude: At higher altitudes, the lower air pressure can cause increased respiration and urination, leading to a higher risk of dehydration.
• Burns: Severe burns can damage the skin's ability to retain moisture, which can result in dehydration.

You're Constipated:

Once again we have entered gross-ville but what can we say, matters of dehydration are sort of icky. Again water has a tie in with waste and toxin removal from the body. Water eases the removal of wastes through the colon and then from the body completely. But if there is no water to facilitate the process, it can easily result in constipation.

Conclusion

Drink loads of water, or keep a friend handy in case of emergency to drive you home and put you in bed when you are in excruciating pain.