Dehydration: Causes, symptoms and cure; Watch out for these warning signs

Causes of dehydration

“Dehydration doesn't just occur when there is less water in the body. You could be dehydrated when important electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium are in disproportionate amounts,” says Ananya Agarwal, CEO & Founder of Nyumi, a nutraceutical brand. The most important electrolyte, Ananya says, is magnesium. “If magnesium levels are optimal, your kidneys can better hold on to other essential electrolytes when needed for dehydration. Supplements containing magnesium can help overcome or avoid dehydration. Magnesium is one of the nutrients that has been demonstrated to alleviate constipation,” she says.

Also see: In pics | A look at some summer fruits and their nutritional value

Symptoms of dehydration

Most of us mistakenly assume that we are hydrated because we don't know what are the symptoms of dehydration. Vasundhara Agrawal, diet and lifestyle consultant, and Co-Founder of Instahealth.in, suggests we should watch out for the following signs of dehydration.

1. Fatigue

You will feel more weary than usual if you are dehydrated. This is because dehydration affects many aspects of health, including your sleep-wake cycles. Multiple studies have linked shorter sleep duration to dehydration.

Dehydration also causes exhaustion during exercise and has a detrimental impact on exercise endurance.

Drinking water frequently is the best and cheapest way to stay hydrated and rehydrate (Image: Freepik)

2. Dark-coloured urine

If you don't drink enough water, your urine will be darker. Darker urine occurs when your body conserves water rather than excreting it in urine. As a result, the urine becomes more concentrated with waste materials from the body such as sodium and urea.

3. Headaches

You get regular headaches when you don't drink enough fluids. According to research, fluid depletion in the body causes blood vessels in the brain to stretch, resulting in headaches.

4. Heart palpitations

Dehydration produces cardiac symptoms such as palpitations, which are characterised by a hammering, fluttering or irregular heartbeat. Dehydration has negative effects on general health, especially heart health.

5. Cracked lips, dry skin, and diminished skin elasticity

Dry skin and lips, as well as diminished skin suppleness, are prominent indications of dehydration.

Avoid coffee and alcohol during summer or when one starts experiencing dehydration symptoms

Easy ways to rehydrate

1. Replace your packaged snacks with fresh fruits and veggies

Fresh fruits and vegetables contain 80-99 percent water, making them an excellent hydrator, says Vasundhara Agrawal. Berries, melons, oranges, grapes, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, and spinach are among the fruits and vegetables with the highest water content.

2. Stay hydrated with milk

Milk, in addition to providing a variety of nutrients, has excellent hydrating characteristics. Incorporating low-fat milk in our diet provides electrolytes in high concentrations, which help balance the amount of water in your body.

3. Always keep a water bottle nearby

Drinking water frequently is the best and cheapest way to stay hydrated and rehydrate. Water, unlike many other beverages, has no added sugars or calories, making it great to consume throughout the day or when rehydrating.

4. Avoid alcohol and coffee

Both alcohol and coffee can lead to dehydration hence it is recommended to avoid them during summer or when one starts experiencing dehydration symptoms, says Ananya Agarwal.

Also, If one is experiencing extreme symptoms of dehydration, it is important to take rest and allow the body to recover. One will also need medical care if the condition gets severe.