If we mention dehydration, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many people, dehydration is associated with extremely hot weather. Dehydration in the winter isn’t something that you think about, but it’s extremely common in Fresno and across the country.
Dehydration occurs when you’re not drinking or ingesting enough water to replace the fluids you’re losing through sweat, respiration, and urine. Water accounts for around 70% of your body weight, and it’s essential for flushing toxins from your body, thinning your blood, and keeping the cells in your tissue healthy.
Experts at Oklahoma State University report that just a 1% to 2% loss of water increases fatigue and weakness. Dehydration levels of 3% to 4% cause declines in your physical activities and urine output. At 5% to 6%, it’s hard to concentrate, stay awake, and regulate your body temperature. If it reaches 7% or higher, your muscles spasm, balancing is harder, and heat stroke can set in. Winter dehydration is a problem that you cannot ignore and Premium Urgent Care is here to help.
Recognizing the Signs of Dehydration in the Winter
Your thirst response slows down in the winter by as much as 40%. If you’re not feeling thirsty, you’re less likely to think about getting a drink.
The air in your home or office is also drier due to indoor heating systems running 24/7. You dress in layers to stay warm, but you still feel cooler than usual, so you don’t realize you’re sweating.
Unless you combat dry air with a humidifier, the air is absorbing more moisture from your skin and you’re losing moisture each time you breathe out. This is why dehydration is a risk. Watch for these common signs of winter dehydration.
- Constipation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Dry lips, mouth, and skin
- Eyes appear sunken
- Irritability
- Lack of energy
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Unexplained increase in your heart rate
Tips for Staying Hydrated
How much water should you be drinking each day? It’s tough to give an exact number as about 20% of your water intake comes from the foods you eat. If your diet includes plenty of vegetables like cucumbers and fruits like strawberries, you’re getting water from them.
You still need to drink liquids to stay hydrated. A general rule of thumb is to aim for 2.7 liters (almost 11.5 cups) if you’re a woman and 3.7 liters (almost 15.5 cups) if you’re a man. How do you do this?
Don’t Focus Solely on Water
Drinks don’t have to be only water. Some people dislike water and find it boring to drink that much. Stay away from sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Instead, enjoy unsweetened herbal teas, fruit-infused or herb-infused water, seltzer with a slice of lemon or lime, or 100% natural fruit juice. As fruit juice can be high in natural sugar, limiting it or adding a splash to seltzer or water is even better.
Track Your Fluid Intake
Invest in a large insulated mug or thermos. One with markings is ideal. Each hour, aim to drink a cup or two. If you’ve been active, increase the amount you drink.
One of the tips our doctors recommend is to check your urine color. If it’s dark yellow, you’re dehydrated and need to increase your fluid intake. You want to aim for pale yellow urine. If it’s been two hours and you haven’t needed to urinate, you’re not drinking enough.
There have been many cases of norovirus and the flu across the nation. If you’re sick and struggle to keep liquids down or to have the energy to sit up long enough to drink, try frozen juice or ice cubes to ensure you stay hydrated, but use the cup to measure how much you are able to drink. Look for water brands that add electrolytes to help you replace essential minerals that help your body fight the virus.
Follow Your Doctor’s Recommendations
However, not everyone should drink liters of water, especially if you’re on prescription medications like diuretics. You need to talk to your doctor about how much water you should drink if you have a chronic health condition like kidney disease or congestive heart failure. It’s best to follow exactly what your doctor advises.
Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables
Do you consume the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables each day? Many of them contain a lot of water and that helps with hydration.
The American Heart Association recommends people eat two cups of fruit each day and 2.5 cups of vegetables. You may need to break this down over several meals and snacks as 2.5 cups of vegetables isn’t always what you think it is. For example, 2 cups of raw spinach is counted as 1 cup of vegetables.
As you make these choices during meals, aim for a variety of colors. Ideally, you want to have fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors each day for optimal health benefits. Here are the colors and examples of what you could pick that also have a high water content.
- Blue/Purple – Blueberries and black/purple/red grapes
- Green – Broccoli, kiwi, and spinach
- Orange – Carrots, melon, and orange bell peppers
- Red – Raspberries, strawberries, and tomatoes
- White – Bananas, cauliflower, and mushrooms
- Yellow – Apricots, peaches, and pineapple
Don’t Overdo It
If you are not drinking enough, don’t rush to make up for it. Instead of suddenly drinking a full liter, increase your hourly fluid intake by a bit to slowly compensate. Overhydration (water intoxication) is a dangerous condition where you drink too much water at once and create an imbalance of essential electrolytes like sodium.
Signs of overhydration include confusion, feeling bloated, headache, nausea, and vomiting. If you suspect you’ve overcompensated, go to a Fresno urgent care immediately.
When Should You Seek Urgent Care?
Mild cases of dehydration are easily treated at home by increasing how much you drink. Make sure you do not overcompensate, as that can be harmful. The best way to ensure you’re drinking enough is by monitoring how often you pee and the color of your urine. If it looks like apple juice, drink more.
If you struggle to keep fluids down due to a stomach bug or flu, go to urgent care. IV fluids may be necessary to avoid severe dehydration. You should also go to a Fresno urgent care if you’re experiencing the more concerning signs of dehydration like fainting, severe headaches, or heart palpitations.
In urgent care, a doctor will examine you and determine if IV fluids are necessary. If you have norovirus or a stomach bug making it hard to keep foods and liquids down, medications to help ease the nausea may be advised.
Time is precious, and we understand that you want to be seen as quickly as possible. That’s why Premium Urgent Care offers online check-in. Have paperwork ready for the front desk, and check in before you arrive to save time.