Everyone should try to avoid becoming dehydrated. Not getting enough water causes serious problems, and in its worst cases, it can even be fatal. For some people, however, the risk is greater than others. Dehydration isn’t just caused by not drinking enough; it can be underpinned by other conditions. If you have one of those conditions, you need to be extra careful with your fluids.
A lot of short-term illnesses can cause temporary dehydration. Fevers (and the associated sweating), vomiting and diarrhea all cause the body to lose water. If you have something like gastroenteritis, you need to make sure you’re still drinking.
There are also some prescription medications, including very common ones, that act as diuretics. That means they increase urination, which obviously means more fluids leaving the body. Check your medication for possible side effects, and if dehydration (or vomiting or diarrhea) are on the list, make sure you drink more while taking them. Some dietary supplements can have a similar impact.
Alcohol is a particularly common and powerful diuretic. The effect is worse if you drink on an empty stomach. It’s one of the many reasons you need to be careful when drinking alcohol. For some people, of course, their alcohol consumption rises to the level of an addiction and, therefore, a medical condition.
One less obvious cause of dehydration is diabetes. When your blood sugar is too high, your body tries to get rid of it by urinating more. It’s all to do with the kidneys; other kidney problems, like kidney stones, can also contribute to dehydration. Excess thirst and urination are often early signs of diabetes, even before an official diagnosis.
Not an illness but definitely something that causes changes to pretty much every aspect of your body, pregnancy can make a dramatic difference to your fluid requirements. You need more water just to sustain normal functioning, let alone to keep your growing baby healthy. Pregnancy can also lead to vomiting and may make you more likely to overheat. You need to be vigilant because dehydration can lead to complications for both mother and baby.
These are just a few of the situations where dehydration can become more likely and you need to make an extra effort to ensure you are getting enough fluids. Awareness is the first step to ensuring you avoid dehydration’s most serious side effects.
