Have a headache? Maybe you need a glass of water
If your plants are wilting, that’s a sure sign they need some water. But if you are low on liquids, there are multiple signs that could be warnings that you shouldn’t ignore.
“Dehydration is when you are behind on your fluids, which can have serious health impacts,” said Michael J. Rest, MD, a specialist in emergency medicine who practices at Falmouth Hospital. “It can impair circulation. It can impair brain function and heart function. It can lead to kidney failure and other organ failure. It's potentially a very serious condition.”
Simply put, dehydration is an imbalance of intake and output – not enough fluid coming in or too much fluid going out. “Anything that increases output, like sweating, can lead to dehydration, if you're not compensating for it,” he said.
Fortunately, your body has lots of ways of letting you know that it’s time to toss down a glass or two of water. “Our bodies are designed so that thirst is a really powerful mechanism,” he said.
Here are a few signs of dehydration, according to Dr. Rest:
Sugar cravings – “Dehydration can mask itself as hunger. Sometimes your body is just dehydrated, and you think you want to eat, but you really need to drink. Instead of reaching for a snack, drink a tall glass of water and wait five minutes. You might not be as hungry as you think.”
Tiredness and irritability – “When your body loses homeostasis, it loses that balance. Certainly, fatigue and crankiness will kick in.”
Bad breath – “When your mouth dries out, you start to get dried mucous membrane, which makes you more prone to halitosis.”
Muscle cramps – “That goes along with a salt and fluid imbalance, and you can get a charley horse and muscle cramps. That's definitely one that you'll see in athletes.”
Headaches – “That’s a classic sign of dehydration. At my son’s Little League game the other day, one of the kids had a headache. One of the coaches wanted to give him some Tylenol. No, get him some Gatorade; he needs to drink up.”
Constipation – “If there's not enough fluid, everything dries up. Your bowels will slow down.”
Low blood pressure, dizziness or fainting – “All those would be farther along and are more serious symptoms.”
If any of the above symptoms are chronic or severe or are combined with other symptoms, then you should consult with your primary care doctor. “But for a mild case of dehydration, the best solution is to drink a big glass of water, seek out a cooler environment and decrease your fluid losses,” Dr. Rest said.
What should you drink?
Plain water is the best replacement fluid, he said.
Drinks that are high in sugars, including sodas and juice, are not good for rehydrating. Sports drinks have lower sugar and also can help you maintain your salt balance, he said. “I tell people if they're going to be outdoors in a heat intensive environment having salty food along paired with water is probably the ideal hydration supplement.”
Caffeine is a mild diuretic, “but if you’re a regular coffee drinker, your body compensates pretty well for that diuretic effect and you're actually hydrating pretty well,” he said. “But if you're not a regular coffee drinker and you went out and had an extra large iced coffee, all that caffeine that your body's not used to will promote a big diuresis.” Caffeinated tea has similar effects.
“I would throw in that alcohol is highly dehydrating,” he said. “If you are out in the sun drinking some beers, mixing in some non-alcoholic beverages to maintain your fluids would be important.”
