Have you ever experienced dehydration . . . like, legit feeling-ill-need-to-go-to-the-hospital dehydration?
It hits fast and it’s surprisingly scary.
Jai here. Hi.
Not long after I married my husband, I decided to go back to college to study psychology, and in the middle of class I felt like I got hit with a brick wall of nausea.
My eyes started going cloudy and dark, pulsing from the outside in with gravity seeming to up its game, like I was going to pass out. My chest felt tight, my heart felt like it was fluttering so fast it might explode, the air felt heavy with every breath I took, and a headache was radiating from my neck up and around to the front of my head.
My mom and my husband came to get me (and my car), and then we swung by my doctor’s office to see what was happening.
The prognosis — dehydration. Severe dehydration!
They gave me a serious dose of I.V. fluids and sent me on my way.
I didn’t have any of the symptoms one would expect with dehydration — my lips weren’t chapped . . . I didn’t feel thirsty . . . I hadn’t felt dizzy prior to the “episode” . . . my skin didn’t seem dry nor showing signs of water retention by staying for a moment when pressed upon . . . and I wasn’t having muscle cramps.
Nonetheless, I was dehydrated.
It’s already hot AF, and it’s just going to get hotter. Real summer (the summer solstice) doesn’t even kick off until June 20th!
Even though dehydration is more common in the hotter months, it can still happen any time of year.
With all of this in mind, here are five things to know about dehydration:
- So we know that if we are thirsty, we need some hydration. Plus, if you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. But thirst doesn’t always happen. Other common signs can be dry skin, headaches, muscle cramps, and dark urine — think “lemonade good, apple juice bad.”
- It doesn’t necessarily happen right away. You could be outside on a hot day, and dehydration can happen hours or even days later.
- Like mentioned above, it doesn’t have to be hot outside. Humidity plays a role, too. Mugginess outside equals more sweat, even if temperatures aren’t that high.
- The general rule for hydration is to drink eight 8oz glasses of water per day, but there really isn’t a magic number on just how much to drink. Some people need more, some need less. What factors into how much water to drink depend on how active you are, the amount of diuretics (like coffee and alcohol) you consume, and your weight.
- Water alone isn’t enough. Yeah . . . I know, right?! Water is great but it’s not all the body needs. We need a mix of water AND electrolytes to stay hydrated. Electrolytes can come from sports drinks, coconut water, dairy, a little salt in your food, and of course electrolyte enhanced water. I’m not big on sports drinks, but when necessary I will cut some with water.
Stay hydrated, my friends.
