Why Are You Dehydrated? 8 Common Reasons

We all have to drink water — usually greater than we understand. So, what if you happen to drink a great deal of water every day however are nonetheless feeling thirsty and dehydrated?

It generally is a signal that one thing else is happening. Factors like your medicine, how a lot you sweat and if you happen to’re sick can have an effect on your ranges of hydration.

Emergency drugs doctor Baruch Fertel, MD, explains dehydration and what may cause it. 

What is dehydration?

Between 55% to 78% of your physique is manufactured from water. When you’re dehydrated, you’ve an absence of water in your physique and your physique doesn’t have sufficient water to carry out its needed features.

This could be from not consuming sufficient water or if you lose water shortly from sweating, vomiting or diarrhea and don’t match the losses.

Water helps support in digestion, lubricates your joints, makes saliva, delivers oxygen all through your physique, regulates your physique temperature and balances your physique’s parts.

So, it’s essential to be careful for indicators that you just’re not consuming sufficient water.

“If you notice that you haven’t urinated for a few hours or if your urine, when you do urinate, is very dark, very concentrated, that may be a sign that you’re not drinking enough,” says Dr. Fertel.

Signs you may be dehydrated:

• Decreased urine output.
• Concentrated urine that’s dark-colored.
• Headache.
• Nausea.
• Muscle cramps.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness, light-headedness.
• Dry mouth.
• Constipation.

Dehydration can result in heat exhaustion, through which your physique temperature begins to rise.

“It can cause a slowdown in some of the body’s metabolic processes,” says Dr. Fertel. “You need to get out of the warm weather and take in more fluid to prevent a progression to a more serious state, which is heatstroke. Heatstroke can be life-threatening.”

Reasons you’re dehydrated

So, you’ve been making an attempt to drink extra water, however you’re nonetheless feeling dehydrated. Here are a couple of explanation why.

You’re not consuming sufficient water

Seems apparent, proper? But a variety of occasions, you might suppose you’re getting sufficient water every day. But in actuality, you’re arising quick.

How a lot water do you have to drink every day?

The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine recommends the next for every day fluid consumption:

• 125 ounces (3.7 liters) for males.
• 91 ounces (2.7 liters) for girls.

But Dr. Fertel warns that it’s not that reduce and dry. “I don’t think those guidelines are that helpful because that’s for a normal person with average weight in a normal situation,” says Dr. Fertel.

How a lot water you have to drink is exclusive to your state of affairs, relying on the quantity of vitality you utilize. Factors can embrace how a lot you train, how a lot you sweat and the way a lot fruit and greens you eat.

“A general rule of thumb is drink when you’re thirsty,” says Dr. Fertel. “If you’re thirsty, drink.”

People who’re older, younger youngsters or those that might have a decreased thirst mechanism ought to be inspired to drink liquids.

You have an electrolyte imbalance

While water is essential, you additionally have to get electrolytes — suppose sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium chloride — from vegatables and fruits.

“Water has hydrogen and oxygen, but it doesn’t have the electrolytes we need for the body,” explains Dr. Fertel.

Eating meals like bananas and apples not solely helps hydrate your physique, but additionally offers these important electrolytes that assist regulate nerve and muscle perform, blood circulate and mind perform. Electrolytes additionally assist regulate how a lot water stays within the cells of your physique.

Sports drinks or different rehydration options may also help restore electrolyte losses from sweating.

You’re consuming water all of sudden

If you get up and chug a gallon of water every morning, you might be doing extra hurt than good.

Overloading your system with water will solely trigger your physique to get rid of any extra by your urine — taking very important electrolytes with it.

Instead, purpose to remain hydrated all through the day.

You’re sweating an excessive amount of

Whether you’re exercising or simply out within the warmth, sweating causes a lack of fluids and electrolytes. Unless you drink extra water to replenish what you’ve misplaced, it could possibly result in dehydration.

“Remember, we can lose fluid by sweating and by breathing,” notes Dr. Fertel. “So, it’s important to stay hydrated.”

You’re consuming espresso or soda

While it’s tempting to slurp down that iced mocha and suppose you’re correctly hydrated, it’s not that straightforward.

Drinks like espresso, sodas with caffeine — and even alcohol — can have a diuretic impact, which means they will trigger you to urinate or pee extra, which may then additional dehydrate you.

That’s to not say you may’t have a morning cup of joe, however there’s no substitute for plain previous aqua.

You’re sick

Battling a bug? Dealing with a virus may trigger you to really feel dehydrated. Vomiting, sweating and having diarrhea can every trigger a lack of fluids.

Instead of consuming giant portions of water all of sudden, you might need to sip on fluids all through the day as it could be simpler to your physique to deal with. Think sports activities drinks, tea or rooster broth.

“The beauty of chicken soup is that it has salt, which helps keep the water in the body,” says Dr. Fertel.

Your medicine

Certain medicines might make it simpler so that you can grow to be dehydrated.

If you’re taking diuretics, antacids, laxatives and blood stress medicine, they might be designed to flush water and electrolytes out of your physique.

It’s essential to speak to your physician if dehydration is listed as a facet impact.

“If you have heart failure or issues with fluid retention, talk to your doctor about optimal fluid regimens to remain hydrated in hot or warm weather,” advises Dr. Fertel.

You have diabetes

If you’re urinating steadily and at all times appear thirsty, it could possibly be an early signal of diabetes.

Your physique is making an attempt to do away with sugar; therefore, the frequent urination. And it could possibly result in dehydration. Your urine could also be candy smelling and it could be accompanied by weight reduction.

“You may also have a metallic taste in your mouth and a smell that’s sweet, fruity or similar to nail polish remover,” explains Dr. Fertel.

What to do about it

You can keep away from dehydration by staying hydrated all through the day. Easier stated than completed, perhaps. But listed here are a couple of tips to assist hold your fluid consumption up.

• Track your fluid consumption. Whether you utilize a water-tracking app or a water bottle that marks the ounces consumed, it’s a good suggestion to get a baseline of how a lot water you drink after which purpose to extend from there.
• Set reminders. A water-tracking app must also have a reminder perform and both ship a notification to your cellphone or smartwatch. You may use your alarm in your cellphone to arrange reminders.
• Drink a glass of water earlier than meals. By doing so, you’ll improve the quantity of water you drink every day by three glasses. A bonus? Sometimes, your physique can confuse thirst for starvation. Having a glass of water earlier than every meal may also help you determine how hungry you really are.
• Add taste. If you don’t just like the style of water, take into account including recent fruit, consuming carbonated flavored water or utilizing powder or liquid water enhancers. Just be careful for added sugar and synthetic sweeteners.
• Eat meals excessive in water. Fill your food regimen with vegatables and fruits which might be identified to have excessive water content material. Options embrace lettuce, watermelon, celery and cantaloupe.
• Don’t neglect about electrolytes. If you’re figuring out within the warmth or sweating lots, take into account consuming fluids with electrolytes like pickle juice, sports activities drinks or rooster soup.

The ranges of dehydration could be gentle to extreme. If you’re thirsty, drink water. You might begin to see signs of dehydration enhance in 5 to 10 minutes.

But if you happen to’re experiencing indicators of average or extreme dehydration, it’s essential that you just search medical therapy instantly. An intravenous hydration (IV) may also help replenish fluids and your physician can run exams.