Dehydration

Dehydration is a lack of water in the body, which can be caused by insufficient dietary water intake and/or excessive losses.

Dehydration is a dangerous condition for a variety of reasons; First of all, in a dehydrated body, the mechanism of sweating is blocked, in order to save the little water left in the body. The lack of sweat secretion causes considerable organic overheating, with negative repercussions on the hypothalamic thermo-regulatory center.

In addition, in a dehydrated organism, blood volume is reduced, so that blood circulates less well in the vessels, the heart becomes fatigued and cardiovascular collapse can occur in extreme cases.

Clinical Symptoms and Signs

Some possible symptoms and clinical signs of dehydration are:

• thirst (not always present, especially in the elderly, and very often not proportionate to the degree of dehydration);

• muscle cramps;

• general weakness;

• Loss of body weight;

• decreased diuresis, with particularly dark-colored urine;

• dryness of the lips, skin and mucous membranes;

• Increased body temperature;

• sunken eyeballs;

• Increased heart rate;

• sensorium impairment;

• lack of tears in the tears and coldness of the extremities.

Subjects at risk

The child is particularly at risk of dehydration due to the higher percentage of body water and its faster turnover. Infants affected by the first viral gastroenteritis are especially at risk.

The elderly are particularly at risk of dehydration as the thirst stimulus subsides with advancing age, there may be a fear of urinary incontinence or misconceptions, and diseases and organic and psychological alterations predisposing to dehydration are also more frequent.

Athletes are particularly at risk of dehydration due to the greater amount of sweat produced during sporting activity.

Rules to keep in mind

• Do not rely only on the feeling of thirst, but take into account the water taken during the day (generally we are talking about at least a liter and a half in winter and at least a couple of liters in summer).

•  isotonic drinks, are particularly useful to combat dehydration. Electrolytes, and in particular sodium and potassium, reduce urinary excretion and promote water retention and better absorption. Beware of excessive sun exposure and the practice of spas and saunas, to be avoided when you are at risk of dehydration.

• When you move to a particularly hot place or in the first summer heat, you need to give the body the right time to acclimatize, avoiding direct exposure to the sun during the hottest hours.

• Forget about plastic overalls to sweat if you want to lose weight; They serve no purpose, except to dehydrate and dangerously attack the health of the wearer.

• Keep in mind that even at high altitudes the risk of dehydration is high, both because of the generally windy climate, the greater proximity of the sun's rays, and because more water is eliminated with breathing.

• Very long plane journeys can also cause dehydration.