Top 10 Unexpected Reasons of Dehydration
Obvious reasons of dehydration like spending too much time outside on a sunny day, not drinking water for a long time and sweating through exercise are well-known and easily avoidable. However, there are several unexpected reasons of dehydration that we need to pay attention to.
Hydration is of utmost importance because more than two thirds of the human body is made of water; so check out the following top unexpected causes of dehydration and how to overcome them.
10. Alcohol
The body retains some of the fluids you consume with the help of an antidiuretic hormone. Alcohols, even small amounts, inhibit the effect of this hormone and replace its effect with a diuretic one which pushes water out of the cells and sends it to the bladder. This forces you to go to the bathroom more than normally causing dehydration. With alcohol impairing your judgment, you won’t recognize your thirst and thus worsen your case.
9. Menstruation
The fluctuation of hormones during your period affects the hydration of the body. Moreover, the blood lost during that time of the month need to be replaced with fluids. Therefore, compensate for these effects by drinking an extra glass of water and watch out for signs of dehydration.
8. Stress
Relaxing and disconnecting from the stresses of life are crucial for your health. When you stress yourself out, your adrenal glands get busy producing stress hormones instead of producing the hormone aldosterone which is important for fluid level balance. Drinking extra water is not enough to defy the effects of stress; you have to overcome your stressors.
7. Increased Blood Sugar Levels
When the blood sugar levels increase above normal, the body tries to get rid of the excess sugar through urine. That is why excessive urination is considered a symptom of diabetes that you need to watch out for. If you are already diabetic and are suffering from dehydration effects like thirst, you need to share this information with your doctor in order to control your blood sugar level.
6. Breastfeeding
The mother transfers water along with precious nutrients and electrolytes from her body to her baby by breastfeeding. The whole process can be dehydrating if you don’t drink enough fluids. Not producing efficiently might be a sign of serious dehydration that you need to tell your doctor about.
5. Heights
The body acclimates to high heights by making you to breathe faster to compensate for the difference of oxygen levels. This panting results to loss of water vapor. In addition, being at high heights causes you to urinate more and so adds another factor to dehydrate.
4. Aging
Aging slows down different functions of your body such as conservation of water and recognizing thirst. You can avoid dehydration by keeping a bottle of water nearby wherever you go and drink from it until it finishes. Make sure that you had your sufficient daily water intake by counting the empty water bottles.
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is accompanied with diarrhea and nausea where both dehydrate the body. Treat this condition along with its symptoms as soon as possible to maintain your body’s health.
2. Natural Supplements
Natural medicine that treats different conditions is not to be used without professional supervision because they can have serious side effects. For instance, natural ingredients like parsley, watercress, celery seed and dandelion increase urination and thus may lead to dehydration. Hence, consult your nutritionist or doctor to know the side effects and how to avoid them.
1. Pregnancy
A pregnant woman needs excess water intake because the blood volume and cardiac output need to increase. In the first trimester, pregnant women are also vulnerable to several episodes of morning sickness which contribute to dehydration. It is important to ask for methods of easing nausea symptoms.
