Remedies for dehydration

Dehydration refers to a significant loss of body water .

Water makes up approximately 55% of the weight of an adult organism .

An “apparently” insignificant reduction, evaluated as a percentage of the total body mass, can compromise the subject’s psycho-physical performance . When the leak reaches 10%, serious and potentially fatal complications arise .

The loss of body fluids occurs mainly with:

• Sweating;
• Urine;
• Stool;
• Pulmonary ventilation(humidification of the air in the sinuses and turbinates );
• Vomit.

Dehydration mainly affects :

• Patients with infectious gastrointestinal diseases(in the presence of vomiting and diarrhea ), renal, endocrine, eating habits (anorexia), etc.;
• Children: have an underdeveloped thirst drive ;
• Elderly: they have an inefficient thirst stimulus; furthermore, as time passes the body tends to retain less water;
• Athletes: they sweat almost exponentially compared to a sedentary person, especially in the summer season ;
• Those who work in extremely tiringor hot environments : kitchen workers, agricultural workers, etc.;
• Those who follow extreme dietssuch as ketogenic diets or those who take diuretics .

Shutterstock

The published material is intended to allow rapid access to general advice, suggestions and remedies that doctors and textbooks usually dispense for the treatment of Dehydration; these indications must in no way replace the opinion of the attending physician or other healthcare specialists in the sector who are treating the patient .

What to do

• In case of vomiting and diarrhea (typical of gastro- enteritisbut not only), treat the triggering agent.
• In case of hormonal or renal pathologies, the risk of dehydration will be reduced proportionally to the treatment of the disease.
• Induce children and the elderly to drinkeven when they do not feel thirsty.
• Follow a balanced diet (see below).
• Hydrate properly during sport.
• In the summer, practice sports during the cooler hours.
• Use clothing suitable for the condition, preferably technical.
• If possible, reduce exposure to strong, hot drafts.
• At high altitudes, hydrate properly despite temperatures that are not too high, since the body must moisten the ventilation air more.
• Also drink during water and underwater activities.
• If you want to use saunasand Turkish baths , calculate the times intelligently and start progressively.
• Limit exposure to direct sunlight.
• Start drinking before, continue during and even after very intense sweating.
• Prefer isotonic solutions alternating with water.
• To understand if your body is really suffering from dehydration, check for the presence of the following symptoms:
  • Reduction of body weight.
  • Muscle cramps.
  • Reduction of diuresis.
  • Dark urine.
  • Dryness of the lips, skin and mucous membranes ( nose , oral cavity, eyes , etc.).

In more serious cases :

• Increased body temperature.
• Sunkenness of the eyes.
• Increased heart rate.
• Blurring of the senses.
• Lack of tearswhen crying.
• Coldness of the extremities.

Note : Remember that a loss of 2-3% is not difficult to achieve. If the scale shows a significant reduction in weight in a short or very short time, it is almost certainly dehydration.

Attention ! In case of loss of consciousness (for example during very intense athletic performances), before intervening, it is necessary to consult your doctor to avoid worsening the situation. In fact, not everyone knows that some of the symptoms linked to hypokalemia (reduction of potassium ) are very similar to those of dehydration ( asthenia , mental confusion , weakness and muscle cramps , paralysis). Forcibly hydrating a potassium-deficient body can further aggravate the situation.

After obtaining clinical certainty of dehydration, it is essential to proceed with rapid and effective rehydration. The best methods are:

• Drinking an easily absorbable solution.
• If the person is unconscious or is particularly serious, the emergency services will apply an intravenousglucohydrosaline infusion (drip).
• Once the acute phase is over, it is necessary to provide progressive rehydration. The organism is not a “container” to be filled. Both water and nutrientsmove from one tissue to another via a complex system of membranes and using concentration gradients, specific channels, etc. For this reason, rehydration must be progressive, prolonged and respectful of some very specific nutritional principles (see below).

What not to do

• Prolonged symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
• Neglect polyuriainduced by renal and hormonal diseases.
• Let children and the elderly drink from time to time.
• Take diuretics.
• Follow dehydrating diets such as ketogenic and those low in watery foods.
• Playing sports without hydrating and following an unbalanced diet.
• Practicing sports during the hottest hours of the summer.
• Use plastic suits or other synthetic clothing to increase sweating (belly, rubbershorts , etc.).
• Expose yourself to very strong and hot air currents.
• By quickly drying sweat, they can hide the degree of sweating.
• Underestimate the altitude.
• Underestimate urinationand sweating during aquatic and especially underwater activities.
• Expose yourself to prolonged saunas and Turkish baths.
• Expose yourself to sunlight formany hours (for example, falling asleep in the sun).
• Ignore the presence of symptoms that may indicate a state of dehydration.
• Ignore the possibility that it is hypokalemia and not dehydration.
• Drink hypotonic or hypertonic solutions: they are poorly absorbed and can trigger diarrhea, making the situation worse.

What to eat

To prevent dehydration or rehydrate the body it is necessary to drink and eat correctly:

• If the level of overall physical activity does not include sport and sweating is normal, it is sufficient to introduce 1ml of water for every calorieconsumed in the diet (for a 200kcal diet, 2 liters of water is recommended). This estimate should also include the water contained in food (approximately 0.8-1.5 litres/day) but, to minimize the risk of dehydration, it is advisable to apply this number only to drinks.
• If sweating is intense due to physical activity, it is advisable to estimate the amount of liquids to be reintroduced by double weighing before and after training. The difference between the two values ​​corresponds to the actual loss of liquids to be reintroduced. This is a very useful parameter in planning future training sessions.
• If the loss of fluids is considerable, it becomes necessary to divide the drinks before, during and after the session. Drinking all at once can be very uncomfortable.
• In case of sport, diarrhea and intense sweating, prefer isotonic or mildly hypotonic liquids. These are better absorbed, participate in the restoration of salt balance and provide energy. They contain semi-complex carbohydrates between 5-10% (6-8% is better) and minerals (especially potassium and sodium ). The optimal temperature is 8-13°C.
• During daily meals, choose foods that contain a fair concentration of water:
  • Fresh fruit and vegetables: the VI and VII fundamental groups of foods are the ones that contribute most to the supply of water and potassium in the diet. Portions can be 3-6 per day and vary from 50 to 300g.
  • Minestrone soups: they are based on cooked vegetables , but have the advantage of containing even more water. Furthermore, unlike many other recipes with cooked vegetables , minestrone does not suffer any loss of minerals . Juices , centrifuged juices and smoothies: to be consumed in secondary meals.
  • Tea and herbal teas.
  • Milkand yogurt : they have a very high water content; portions are 1-3 per day (250ml for milk and 125g for yogurt).
  • Fresh meat, fish and eggs : using appropriate cooking methods , these foods also support hydration. It is advisable to prepare them with the following methods: raw, boiling in water, vacuum , steam , pressure and jar cooking . Even baked in foil , baked in crust and pan-fried are not to be excluded .
  • Soupy first courses based on cerealsand legumes : soaking and cooking these starchy seeds (or derivatives) in water increases their hydration by 100-200%. The portions are 1-2 per day and vary from 30 g to 80 g of food and 250-500ml of broth or water. However, by favoring broth recipes the quantity of liquid increases by up to 4 times.
• Follow a balanced diet with the right percentage of macronutrients(including carbohydrates).

What not to eat

The exclusive consumption of poorly hydrated foods and some diuretic products can predispose to dehydration:

• Preserved, cooked or dehydrated fruit and vegetables: jams, cooked and squeezed herbs , concentrates, candied or dried fruit , etc.
• Mature cheeses: unlike fresh ones, they have a low concentration of water.
• Preserved, cooked or dehydrated meat and fish: overcooked and concentrated meat sauces, grilled for a long time , cured cured meats and sausages , etc.
• Breadsticks, crackers , biscuits and croutons as a substitute for fresh bread and first courses.

Some molecules can be diuretic and promote the excretion of water; among these we especially remember:

• Ethyl alcohol: it is strongly diuretic.
• Stimulants: the most common one is caffeine. They are mainly contained in coffee, certain energy drinks and thermogenic food supplements .
• Ketone bodies: they are produced by the body in deficiency of carbohydrates. They are typical of ketogenic diets , i.e. unbalanced nutritional regimes aimed at losing weight . Having a very strong osmotic power , when they are filtered by the kidneys they also take away a lot of water contained in the blood plasma .
• Officinal plants with diuretic action: dandelion , goldenrod , horsetail , birch , juniper , nettle , couch grass and asparagus .

Natural cures and remedies

Natural remedies for dehydration are nothing more than the foods themselves. The following are particularly effective:

• Rich in water.
• Rich in potassium, but also in sodium.
• With a fair percentage of carbohydrates.
• Poor in fructooligosaccharides andother osmotic carbohydrates that are not reabsorbable at the tubular level of the kidneys.
• Low in caffeine and other stimulants.
• Alcohol free.
• With natural and not excessive concentrations of potassium, vitamin Cand vitamin B6 .

Pharmacological treatments

• Rehydration therapy: it is based on formulas rich in electrolytesto be dissolved in water; simple and semi-complex carbohydrates are often added . It can be carried out for:
  • Oral route.
  • Intravenous route (drip).
• In case of vomiting, antiemetic drugs. A classic example is that of antimuscarinics such as scopolamine (e.g. Addofix ).
• In case of diarrhea: antispasmodics, anticholinergics , intestinal absorbents and specific antibiotics or antiparasitics.
• In case of eatingdisorders : anxiolytics , antidepressants , etc.
• In case of diabetes insipidusand other endocrine pathologies: synthetic hormones .

Prevention

Prevention of dehydration can only be done when the dehydrating agent is known:

• Treat any illnesses that can cause dehydration.
• Carefully evaluate the relevant variables (high altitude, underwater activities, hot wind, direct sun, etc.).
• Drink and eat adequately, especially in the presence of heat and intense sporting activity.
• Drink even when you are not thirsty; without exaggerating, small sips are sufficient.
• Dress specifically and choose times with acceptable temperatures.

Medical treatments

There are no specific medical treatments to cure or prevent dehydration. The only exception is surgical interventions aimed at treating higher-level pathologies.