Chronic dehydration: causes and remedies
In 2016, on the occasion of World Water Day, a survey conducted among the French informed us that 75% of them had a daily water intake lower than the minimum 1.5L of water required and recommended by the Ministry of Health to maintain their hydration level. In other words, three quarters of the French are dehydrated daily.
[ Toluna sodastream study ]
What is chronic dehydration?
Dehydration is above all an imbalance in our water balance: the intake of water and electrolytes is not sufficient to compensate for losses, causing disorders in the body.
We consume water because water is an essential element for the constitution and functioning of our body. Every day, our body uses water to operate its metabolism (transport of dissolved substances to cells, transit, chemical reactions, etc.) but also to breathe, eliminate waste (via urine) and maintain its body temperature. This use of water causes losses that must be compensated for by sufficient water intake. If the losses are greater than the water intake, this leads to dehydration.
With a more scientific approach, to understand the phenomena of dehydration, it is necessary to know that in the body, the movements of water are linked to those of electrolytes and in particular sodium (Na+), directly involved in the distribution of water in the intra and extra cellular environments.
The intracellular environment corresponds to the inside of our cells. The extracellular environment corresponds to everything that is outside the cell, that is to say the intercellular spaces (between cells): tissues, blood, lymph.
A significant loss of sodium will also result in a significant loss of water because water follows sodium. If the loss of Na+ occurs in the intra- and extra-cellular environments, these two environments will be impacted by a concomitant leak of water, this is global dehydration.
[ Global dehydration ]
Dehydration is not a disease in itself, but it can have significant consequences on health and lead to pathologies. Indeed, in the case of severe dehydration , the body is no longer able to function properly and the lack of water will have repercussions on several organs:
Without water, the kidney is unable to perform its filtering and elimination function, this is called renal failure. The cardiovascular system is also affected, the blood becomes more viscous following severe dehydration, the heart must therefore provide more work to eject the blood into the vessels causing hypertension, beyond a threshold, the blood volume decreases suddenly, leading to hypovolemic shock. This can have major repercussions on the brain and lead to a coma or even death without rapid therapeutic management. [ Effects on the kidney / Effects on the heart ]
Fortunately, it is possible to prevent dehydration using simple means, by treating the origin of dehydration and by drinking water regularly and in quantities adapted to the environment.
Chronic dehydration can have multiple causes. Sweating is one of the main sources of dehydration. Sweat is mainly composed of water, so sweating means losing water. This is why excessive sweating can cause dehydration, especially when you are in a risky situation such as a heatwave or during intensive sports sessions. During sports, water loss is also pulmonary, and increased by hyperventilation caused by the effort.
Then, digestive disorders (diarrhea, vomiting) cause increased water loss that can lead to dehydration, just as certain metabolic situations are more likely to cause dehydration: diabetics (type 1) eliminate more water because of the accumulation of sugar in the blood. It is therefore all the more important for them to hydrate themselves sufficiently. [ cause of chronic dehydration ]
How do you know if you have chronic dehydration?
There are a series of symptoms that should alert you to your hydration level. Thirst is the body's first warning sign when we think of dehydration, but it appears too late, contrary to what one might think. Being thirsty is already having a hydration level that is too low.
The decrease in blood volume generated by the lack of water leads to poorer oxygenation of the tissues. This then results in a multitude of associated symptoms such as headache and fatigue, aggravated by hypotension. Skin pallor can help you spot low blood pressure. The poor oxygenation of the body caused by the lack of water also causes cold sweats, hands and feet are cold. To compensate for the lack of oxygen, the pulse accelerates, this is called tachycardia, your heart beats faster.
Some signs of dehydration are more obvious to spot: a low volume of urine and its dark color are an excellent marker of chronic dehydration, as are weight loss (up to 20% of initial weight) and the presence of skin folds, like those you can get after staying in a bath for too long.
How to overcome chronic dehydration?
To avoid chronic dehydration, the best thing to do is to anticipate your hydration level in order to have sufficient water intake throughout the day. Here are some tips to help you know if you are well hydrated. First, monitor your weight, it is an excellent indicator of your hydration level because, at the beginning, weight loss is correlated with water loss. A weight that remains stable is therefore reassuring.
You can also check your skinfold, which is a gentle pinching of your skin to see if it quickly returns to its original state. If it doesn't, you're probably lacking water.
Finally, carrying out a biological blood test such as an ionogram, indicating in particular the level of sodium in the blood, is a slightly more in-depth indicator concerning your state of hydration.
As you will have understood, anticipating your thirst is the best way to avoid all the inconveniences and dangers of chronic dehydration. For optimal hydration throughout the day, Hydratis offers you an interesting alternative compared to a classic glass of water. Thanks to a tablet enriched with minerals (sodium, potassium, chloride, zinc) and glucose, water absorption is accelerated in your body allowing you to fill both water and mineral salt losses much more effectively than with water alone.
