DEHYDRATION

DEHYDRATION IS UNPLEASANT BUT NOT DANGEROUS
Although most of us will experience only mild symptoms of dehydration during our lifetime, such as headache, weakness, and decreased sweating and urination, the condition can worsen to the point where medical intervention is necessary. Serious complications include brain swelling, seizures, kidney failure, and even death. Fortunately, adults can very quickly regulate the lack of water in the body, simply by taking in fluids. But if we do not take care of this in time, increased thirst, dizziness and confusion may occur. In older people and children, this condition is even more dangerous, and the symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, temperature, inability to retain fluids or confusion.
IF YOU ARE THIRSTY, YOU ARE ALREADY DEHYDRATED
It’s not true that thirst is a sign that you’re dehydrated, it’s just your body’s way of telling you that you need to drink fluids. In fact, drinking fluids when you’re thirsty is the most basic way to stay hydrated. Just as no one tells animals when to drink water, humans feel the same instinct, but it’s not too late. The commercialization of drinking water was initiated by large companies that, on the one hand, explain the importance of keeping the body hydrated, but on the other hand, unnecessarily create panic. Drink when you feel thirsty and it is the most reliable way to prevent dehydration problems. EVERYONE SHOULD DRINK EIGHT GLASSES OF WATER A DAY
This rule is outdated, and it is promoted mainly by companies that sell bottled water. So how much water should we drink? According to some medical recommendations, men need three and women a little more than two liters of fluid a day. Other experts again claim that there is no need to force yourself to take in liquid, but that it is enough as much as you feel, that is, to drink when you are thirsty and while you are thirsty. It should be remembered that these recommendations do not only apply to water, but to total fluid intake in one day. We also ingest liquid by drinking coffee, tea juices, and even while eating some types of food. We get about 20 percent of our daily liquid intake from food. Ultimately, the answer to the question of how much water to drink is very personal and is defined by your individual thirst
CLEAR URINE IS A SURE SIGN OF HYDRATION
Although this is not the most pleasant activity, if you are checking the purity of your urine, this can be a good way to determine how hydrated you are. But what you should look for is not whether the urine is clean, but whether it has a light yellow color, which is a sign of good hydration. Professor Lawrence Armstrong made a map of the color of urine, and by the position you are on that map, you can determine how much you need to increase daily dose of fluid intake.
THERE IS NEVER TOO MUCH WATER
It is true that overhydration can be very dangerous, but this condition is quite rare. Excessive intake
of water can lead to a condition where sodium levels in the body are so high that cells begin to swell.
Symptoms usually include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and can escalate to the point of seizures and even coma. This does not mean that you should abstain from water, because to cause so-called water poisoning, you would have to drink a really huge amount of liquid. Most often, these symptoms are developed by marathon runners who are trying to replenish fluids that they are not actually lacking as much as they think. If you drink as much as your body requires, you are not in danger.
WE SHOULD DRINK „SPORTS DRINKS“ WHEN WE EXERCISE
If you exercise for less than an hour, water is quite enough. Electrolyte and glycogen reserves are not depleted until you exercise at a high intensity for more than an hour. Professional athletes can benefit from the right mixture of sugar and sodium that is the basis of sports drinks, although these products today contain a lot of artificial ingredients that do not necessarily bring benefits to the body, on the contrary. Instead, try to make one of these drinks yourself or consider food which is a natural alternative to these drinks. Many of us eat in such a way that we already consume large amounts of carbohydrates and sodium, so we don’t need supplements during exercise.
COFFEE DEHYDRATES US
Although caffeine is dehydrating, the water in coffee or tea replaces any lost fluid. The consequence of this is that after one of these drinks you have more fluid in your body than before you drank it.
However, if you overdo it with caffeinated beverages, you can put yourself at risk of dehydration, which would require you to drink more than five cups of coffee a day.