Remedies for Dehydration

we mean a significant loss of body water.

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

An "apparently" insignificant reduction, evaluated as a percentage of the total body mass, can compromise the psycho-physical performance of the subject. When the loss reaches 10%, serious and potentially fatal complications occur.

The loss of body fluids occurs mainly with:

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

Dehydration mainly affects:

• Patients with gastrointestinal infectious pathologies (in the presence of vomiting and diarrhea), renal, endocrine, eating disorders (anorexia) etc;
• Children: have an underdeveloped thirst stimulus;
• Elderly: they have an inefficient thirst stimulus; moreover, over time the body tends to retain less water;
• Sportsmen: they have an almost exponential sweating compared to a sedentary, especially in the summer season;
• Those who work in extremely tiring or hot environments: kitchen workers, farm workers, etc;
• Those who follow extreme diets such as ketogenic or those who take diuretics.

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

but not only), cure the triggering agent.

In case of hormonal or kidney diseases, the risk of dehydration will be reduced proportionally to the cure of the disease.

Induce children and the elderly to drink even when they do not feel the urge to thirst.

Eat a balanced diet (see below).

Hydrate properly during sports.

In the summer, practice sports in 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 the temperatures that are not too high, since the body must moisten the ventilation air more.

Also drink during water and underwater activities.

Wanting to practice saunas and Turkish baths, calculate the times with intelligence and start progressively.

Limit exposure to direct sunlight.

Start drinking earlier, continue during and even after very intense sweating.

Prefer isotonic solutions alternating with water.

To understand if the body really suffers from dehydration, check for the following symptoms:

• Reduction of body weight.
• Muscle cramps.
• Reduction of diuresis.
• Dark urine.
• Dryness of the lips, skin and mucous membranes (nose, mouth, eyes, etc.).

In severe cases:

• Increased body temperature.
• Deepening of the eyes.
• Increased heart rate.
• Blurring of the senses.
• Lack of tears when crying.
• Coldness of the extremities.

Note: Remember that a 2-3% loss 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 performance), before intervening, it is necessary to consult a doctor to avoid worsening the situation. In fact, not everyone knows that some of the symptoms related to hypokalaemia (potassium reduction) are very similar to those of dehydration (asthenia, mental confusion, weakness and muscle cramps, paralysis). the situation.

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

• By drinking an easily absorbed solution.
• If the subject is unconscious or is particularly serious, the emergency service will apply an intravenous "glucohydrosaline infusion (drip).
• Once the acute phase is over, it is necessary to provide for a progressive rehydration. The organism is not a "container" to be filled. Both water and nutrients move from one tissue to another through a complex system of membranes and exploiting concentration gradients, specific channels, etc. For this reason, rehydration must "be progressive, prolonged and respectful of some very specific nutritional principles (see below).

induced by kidney and hormonal diseases.

Let children and the elderly drink from time to time.

Take diuretics.

Follow dehydrating diets such as ketogenic diets and those low in watery foods.

Playing sports without hydrating and following an unbalanced diet.

Practicing sports in the hottest hours of the summer.

Use plastic suits or other synthetic clothing to increase sweating (waistbands, rubber shorts, etc.).

Expose yourself to very strong and hot air currents.

By wiping away sweat quickly, they can obscure the degree of sweating.

Underestimate the altitude.

Underestimate urination and sweating during water and especially underwater activities.

Expose yourself to prolonged saunas and steam rooms.

Exposing yourself to sunlight for many hours (for example, falling asleep in the sun).

Neglecting the presence of symptoms that may indicate a state of dehydration.

Ignore the possibility that it is hypokalaemia and not dehydration.

Drink hypotonic or hypertonic solutions: they are poorly absorbed and can trigger diarrhea making the situation worse.

taken with the diet (for a 200kcal diet we recommend 2 liters of water). This estimate should also include the water contained in food (about 0.8-1.5 liters / day) but, to minimize risk of dehydration, it is advisable to apply this number only to drinks.

If the sweating is intense due to motor activity, it is advisable to estimate the amount of fluids to be reintroduced by carrying out the 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 workouts.

If the loss of fluids is considerable, it becomes necessary to divide the drinks before, during and after the session. Drinking it all at once can be very annoying.

In case of sport, diarrhea and intense sweating, prefer isotonic or slightly hypotonic liquids. These are better absorbed, participate in the restoration of the salt balance and provide energy. They contain semi-complex carbohydrates between 5-10% (preferably 6-8%) and minerals (especially potassium and sodium). The optimum temperature is 8. -13 ° C.

During daily meals, choose foods that contain a fair concentration of water:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables: the VI and VII fundamental groups of foods are the ones that participate most in the intake of water and potassium in the diet. The portions can be 3-6 per day and vary from 50 to 300g.
• Minestroni: they are based on cooked vegetables, but have the advantage of containing even more water.In addition, unlike many other recipes with cooked vegetables, that of minestrone does not suffer any loss of minerals. Juices, centrifuged and smoothies: to be consumed in secondary meals.
• Tea and herbal teas.
• Milk and yogurt: they have a very high water content; the 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 help support hydration. It is advisable to prepare them with the following methods: raw, boiled in water, vacuum-packed, steamed, pressure-cooked and in jars. They are not not even baked in foil, baked in crust and sautéed.
• Brothy first courses based on cereals and legumes: the eventual soaking and cooking of these starchy seeds (or derivatives) in water increases their hydration by 100-200%. The portions are 1-2 per day and vary from 30g to 80g of food and 250-500ml of broth or water. However, if you prefer broth recipes, the amount of liquid also increases by 4 times.

Follow a balanced diet with the right percentage of macronutrients (including carbohydrates).

and some diuretic products can predispose to dehydration:

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

Some molecules can turn out to be diuretic and favor the excretion of water; among these we remember above all:

• Ethyl alcohol: it is strongly diuretic.
• Stimulants: the most common is caffeine. They are mainly contained in coffee, certain energy drinks and thermogenic food supplements.
• Ketone bodies: they are produced by the organism in lack of carbohydrates. They are typical of ketogenic diets, or unbalanced nutritional regimes aimed at slimming. 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.
• Medicinal plants with diuretic action: dandelion, goldenrod, horsetail, birch, juniper, nettle, grass and asparagus.

.

Poor in fructo-oligosaccharides and other osmotic carbohydrates 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 C and vitamin B6.

to dissolve in water; simple and semi-complex carbohydrates are often added. It can be done for:

• Oral way.
• Intravenous route (drip).

In case of vomiting, anti-emetic drugs. A classic example is that of antimuscarinics such as scopolamine (for example Addofix).

In case of diarrhea: antispasmodics, anticholinergics, intestinal sorbents and specific antibiotics or antiparasitics.

In case of eating disorders: anxiolytics, antidepressants, etc.

In case of diabetes insipidus and other endocrine pathologies: synthetic hormones.

Riccardo Borgacci

Graduated in Exercise Science and Dietetics, he practices as a freelance outpatient activity as a dietician and personal trainer