Especially important for children and the elderly
We lose water from our bodies every day from sweating, breathing, elimination and other benign ways. The need to replace the lost fluid by drinking fluids and/or eating foods that contain water. If we lose too much water or don’t drink and eat enough, we can get dehydrated.
Children
They just don't stop and they of course sweat, but being too young to realize the need for fluids, they can hit the wall.
As we Age
As we age we lose our thirst sensation and this continues to weaken as we gain in years. It of course leads to dehydration... and in fact many times what is perceived as vertigo in the elderly is simply dehydration. And let's not forget the plethora of synthetic medications most elderly ingest, many of these can act as a diuretic as well.
Travel
Yes travel can even dehydrate us at a faster rate as your body may be going through some changing environments that induce it. Air Travel with increased pressure, long sojourns exploring new places the excitement takes you away from normal routines including drinking water. When we fly, the air inside the cabin is at a much lower lower humidity than normal. Inside an airplane, it can drop substantially and during longer flights, cabin humidity dips even lower over time.
Travelers tend to drink less water which of course leads to dehydration, especially on flights lasting more than four hours, (Travelers should hydrate before, during, and after a flight to maintain hydration). Drinking Alcohol and Caffeine tends to be preferred for flyers and both caffeine and alcohol have a diuretic effect that can hasten the on-set of dehydration.
Side Note: Dehydration worsens your Jet Lag. Jet lag is often unavoidable, especially during long-distance travel, but staying properly hydrated is the best way to help avoid the nausea, lethargy, sluggishness, headache and fogginess associated with jet lag.
Quick Tests
One of the better indicators of dehydration is the color of your urine.... with light colored urine signifying good fluid levels. When you see darker yellow, that is a signal to drink more water! A heavier smell is also a good indicator... with brown colored and pungent smelling urine being a warning that you are near death! So pay attention folks.
Another quick test that is far faster and easier than urination checks is pressing the tip of a finger. Yes your finger tip color when pressed will turn white as the blood is pressed out of the capillaries. If you are not dehydrated the color will return in 2 or 3 seconds (with adults taking a second more usually). Other tests include pinching your skin to see how fast it goes back to normal, but in the elderly this is not the best test... the nail press or urine check is far more reliable.
Go get some water now... you have been online too long!
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Image Credit: allhealthpost