Avoiding Dehydration

Most people get thirstier during the hot and humid summer months, which is good because staying well hydrated is essential for good health. “Hydration helps lubricate our joints, keeps our skin and nails healthy, and it keeps our metabolism moving,” explains Dana Hunnes RD, MPH, PhD UCLA Medical Center. “But in our later years, our thirst mechanisms waver a bit, and we don’t notice that we are as thirsty, which definitely can be to our detriment.”

Consequences and Contributors to Dehydration

Constipation, trouble with concentration and balance, dizziness, fatigue, and higher risk for urinary tract infections and potential kidney problems are all associated with dehydration. Common symptoms include dry mouth, unusually rapid heartbeat, headache, and infrequent urination.

Some medications may contribute to dehydration. These include diabetes medications such as canagliflozin (Invokana), dapagliflozin (Farxiga) and empagliflozin (Jardiance). These meds cause more sugar to pass into urine, which trigger the kidneys to pull water from the body in order to dilute the urine. Metformin, a common medication for type 2 diabetes, is associated with diarrhea, and thus may contribute to dehydration. Likewise, laxatives can cause your body to flush out too much water, resulting in diarrhea and increased risk for dehydration. Other medications that may be dehydrating include potassium-sparing and thiazide diuretics for high blood pressure, and loop-acting diuretics for heart failure.

Check the list of side effects associated with your medications to see if dehydration is among them. Talk with your doctor if you suspect your medications may be contributing to dehydration. He or she can advise on how to mitigate the problem or possibly find a different drug or dose that can meet your health needs.

Urine Color and Body Weight

If your urine is pale yellow (looks like lemonade), you’re well-hydrated. If your urine is darkly colored (looks more like apple juice) and is limited in volume, you may be dehydrated. You also can check for weight fluctuations. If you weigh yourself first thing every morning after urinating and your body weight fluctuates by less than 1 percent from day to day, it’s a sign you’re adequately hydrated. Similarly, if you weigh yourself before and after exercise, it can give you an idea of your hydration status, assuming you began exercise well-hydrated. A decrease in body weight between 3 and 5 percent after exercise represents significant dehydration.

Best Choices for Hydration

About 60 percent of the body is composed of water, and water is the ideal choice for giving your body what it needs. Many bottled brands are just purified tap water that have been filtered in similar ways that you can do at home. Reverse osmosis filters that fit under the sink and filters that fit on faucets or in pitchers do a decent job of filtering trace contaminants.

In addition, there are other contributors to healthy hydration. “As we age, we need roughly 0.4 ounces of water per pound of body weight every day. This can include the water we get from fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, and other fluids. It doesn’t need to be just water. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need about 60 ounces of fluid per day (which is almost 8 cups). But, if you’re super petite, you need less than that, and if you’re really tall and big, you need more.”

If you vigorously exercise, sweat a lot, and spend a lot of time outdoors in humid environments, your body will need more hydration to compensate for fluid lost through sweat. Beverages such as low or no-calorie sports drinks and flavored waters are good choices. Fruits and vegetables high in water content include watermelon, strawberries, peaches, cucumbers, and lettuce. Hunnes recommends limiting fruit juice and sodas because while they do contribute to hydration, they also can pack a lot of sugar and calories. Also avoid or limit alcohol and highly caffeinated beverages as those tend to be dehydrating, too.

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