Water And Dehydration
*75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. *37% of people make the mistake that what they think are hunger pangs are actually thirst. *Lack of hydration is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue. *Losing just 2% of body weight in water compromises your overall judgment by 25% and severely limits physical endurance.
*Source “When All Hell Breaks Loose
Ways That The Body Loses Water
Physical activity and exertion / sweating
Illness / fever
Hot temperatures by way of sunlight / other
Excessively high humidity or low humidity
Breathing through the mouth more than the nose
Diarrhea
Vomiting
High winds
Cold temperatures
High protein, fat, and sodium diet
Early Signs Of Dehydration
Headache
Irritability
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Nausea / loss of appetite
Dry mouth, cracked lips
Mild disorientation and confusion
Fatigue / lethargy
Decreased urine output / dark colored urine
Muscle weakness
Often, and the simplest, the most telling sign of being dehydrated (even if you do not believe that you are) is dark-colored urine. The best way to know if you have enough water in your body is the color of your urine. Ideally it should be clear, with no color at all.
A person, doing nothing, at rest, loses more than half a gallon of water in a day. Once you add in exertion, climate, and other factors, this number goes much higher.
For every quart of sweat that escapes your body, your heart rate increases by about 8 beats per minute and your system becomes more stressed.
It is often hard to remember to drink enough and to remain optimally hydrated. Older people in particular lose some of their sense of thirst as they age. Waiting for a ‘cue’ of thirst to trigger your motivation to drink water is already too late. When you first feel thirst, you are already down more than a quart. A common problem is that once you get the urge to drink, it is often quenched by only a few mouthfuls, meaning that you are still ‘low’ and continue to go ‘lower’. How often do you actually drink an entire quart of water when you feel thirsty? See what I mean?
The human brain is 75% water, and human blood is 83% water, so don’t let dehydration impair your judgment and physiology. Water is number one when it comes to survival (depending upon immediate other circumstances of course). Drink enough of it. Store it. Know how to get it. Know how to purify it. Treat the resource with respect. Don’t waste it. Only 0.5% of all earth’s 326 million trillion gallons of water is potable.
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@Ken, Yeah, in the desert we would lose 3-5 gallons a day. One day in Kuwait, we had to do the AQT AGAIN before we went in country. It was over 134 degrees. I drank 3 bottles of water just walking to the range about 100yds away. I sat on my butt and drank water instead of qualifying, yet again. I had brought the case with me. “Sarge aren’t you gonna shoot”? One of the privileges of being an E-8, “nah, I don’t think you want me out there with a loaded weapon, I’m good.” I sat there and drank the whole case of water over the period of an hour watching my guys shoot. It was all I could do to just stay hydrated, sitting there. Also if you are losing a LOT of fluids, you have to add some sugar and salt, especially the salt. In normal climates, just adding a little extra salt on your food will suffice but not in conditions like that. If you’re using a lot of water in short periods of time you MUST have some salt intake to allow your body to use the water. Survive well. Enjoy.
Color is not the only indicator one should watch, and pale coloration is good, but…
http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/features/the-truth-about-urine
I was always told that dark urine meant you held it too long.
Ken, I have been away for a few days due to the death of my beloved Father. Enough said…This is a CRITICAL article that most readers will dismiss as unnecessary.
Living in the altitude has taught me that water and hydration is probably the MOST critical factor in survival. PAY ATTENTION FOLKS! Please! Thanks to Ken, we will see more articles like this and others similar in nature….reminding us of our most basic needs. Kudos.
To Pioneerwoman: I am sorry for the loss of your father. I lost mine several years ago He was 85 and he lived a good life.
As a young man running marathons in So Cal, I would lose on average 4 lbs in water during the race. This happened even though I consumed lyte replacements at every water stop along the route. I was urinating frank blood after one race in particular. (not a good clinical sign)
Recovery from dehydration will take days before you feel right. The only hints I have to offer are for recovering from a dehydrated state: !. Eat bland food in the form of chicken soups or stews. 2. Avoid alcohol and strong caffeinated beverages until you feel close to normal. I remember it took me 3 days to feel right. 3. drink gatorade at half-strength (or your favorite electrolyte replacement drink) 4. Other good fluids that will help you feel better include: V-8 juice, clamato, the Shandy (ginger ale and inexpensive beer) tomatoe juice and beer, 5. Eat salads that contain lettuce and small amounts of easily digestable protein like tuna. Stay away from the hard-cooked eggs and salamie. 6. Bread is your friend.
Dehydration is a drag. I hope it does not happen to you. I pass this on because it may/probably will happen to the weakest member within your party if it does not happen to you. Survive well.