Health & Nutrition
Water: Drink Up!
Taking Care of Children
• Dehydration in Older Folks
• Mild Dehydration in Adults
• Dehydration Due to Intense or Strenuous Exercise
• How Much Water Do I Need?
• Tips
You can live as long as six weeks without food, but you couldn't survive more
than a week without water. Water or fluids that contain water fill virtually
every cell and the spaces between them in the body. Water accounts for
approximately 60 to 70 percent of the total body weight in a normal adult, making it
the most abundant constituent of the human body. In terms of volume, the total
body water in a man of average weight (70 kg or 154 lbs) is roughly 40 L (10.6
gallons).
In the body, water becomes the fluid in which all life processes occur. Water
inside the cell is responsible for the structural maintenance of large molecules
like protein and glycogen. Water, often called the universal solvent, is
essential in the dissolution and dispersing of minerals, vitamins, amino acids,
glucose, and many other nutrients. Water also plays a key role in the digestion,
absorption, transportation, and use of nutrients. Water in body fluids also:
- Carries waste
products and toxins from the body
- Actively
participates in many chemical reactions
- Acts as a
lubricant and cushion around joints
- Serves as a shock
absorber inside the eyes, spinal cord, and, in pregnancy, the amniotic sac
surrounding the fetus in the womb
- Aids in the body's
temperature regulation
- Maintains blood
volume
Every body cell, tissue, and organ needs water to function. There is no life,
as we know it, without water.
Dehydration is a condition where the body's water output exceeds the input.
Mild dehydration can occur with as little as 1 percent loss of total body weight as a
result of fluid loss. Chronic dehydration is caused by inadequate replenishment
of daily water losses over time and acute dehydration can result from intense
exercise or an illness where a large amount of fluid is lost from the body in a
short period of time and not replaced.
The human body needs water to maintain enough blood and other fluids to
function properly. If your body loses much more fluid than you are drinking, you
become dehydrated.
Normal fluid losses occur:
- With the
elimination of body wastes (urine and feces)
- During illness
with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea
- By sweating during
intense exercise or activity and/or during hot or humid weather
- As we breathe
Electrolytes are also lost with body fluids.
The most common causes of dehydration are severe vomiting and diarrhea. Low
intakes of fluids or foods containing water during illness can also cause
dehydration. Failing to drink enough water during or after intense or strenuous
exercise, especially during warmer weather can lead to dehydration. A common
factor in long-term or chronic dehydration are medications (diuretics) that
control excess body fluid. Dehydration can occur in anyone, but those affected
most frequently are:
- babies less
than 1 year old
- elderly, most
common cause of hospitalization of people over age 65
- individuals with a
fever
- all age groups
during hot weather
Mild dehydration is characterized by:
- flushed face
- very thirsty
- weakness
- headache
- cramping in arms and legs
- dry, warm skin
- crying with few or no tears
- dizziness
- small amounts of dark, yellow urine
Moderate or severe dehydration is characterized by:
- fainting
- severe muscle
cramps in the arms, legs, stomach, and back
- a bloated stomach
- deep and rapid
breathing
- poor skin
elasticity (turgor)
- sunken eyes with
few tears
- convulsions
Symptoms of mild dehydration in children include:
- sticky or dry mouths
- less frequent urination
- increased thirst
Symptoms of moderate and severe dehydration in children include:
- sunken eyes
- weight loss
- decreased alertness
- much less urination
Call your doctor immediately if your child:
- doesn't seem to
recognize you
- is difficult to
arouse
- appears weak and
limp
- doesn't make tears
while crying
- has a dry or
sticky mouth
- hasn't urinated in
over 8 hours
- is dizzy or
unsteady when standing
- vomiting is
worsening or lasting longer than 6 to 8 hours
- starts to act very
sick
- refuses to drink
fluids
Taking
Care of Your Child With Mild Dehydration Due to Illness
Encourage your child to drink, but do not force them to drink. If the child
is an infant under 1 year old and you are breast-feeding the child, offer him or
her special clear liquids with electrolytes (non-prescription oral electrolyte
solutions) between breast-feedings for the first 6 to 24 hours if the child is
not urinating as often as usual. If you are not breast-feeding your child, give
oral electrolyte solution instead of formula for first 12 to 24 hours.
If your child is vomiting, give frequent small amounts of breast milk or the
electrolyte fluids rather than less frequent large amounts. The child will be
better able to keep the liquid down and will still get the same amount of fluid.
For most illnesses, start giving a bottle-fed baby full-strength formula
again after 12 to 24 hours of the clear liquids. For diarrhea, a soy formula may
be more easily digested.
If your child is more than 1 year old, you may give Kool-Aid and
half-strength lemon-lime soft drinks to start. Clear soups, sport drinks diluted
to half strength, popsicles and half strength Jell-O are also good choices.
Avoid all fruit juices.
If your child is vomiting, give him or her small frequent amounts of liquid
rather than large infrequent amounts.
If your child is not vomiting or having diarrhea, water alone works well for
rehydration in the first few hours, although your child may eat regular food
when his or her appetite returns.
Older children suffering from mild dehydration will probably be quite thirsty
and should be allowed to drink as much as he or she wants. Pure water for the
first hour or two is acceptable but after this, your child will need drinks
containing sugar or regular food.
Don't give clear liquids alone for longer than 12 to 24 hours (unless your
doctor instructs you otherwise) because they lack adequate calories needed for
your child to regain his or her strength.
Dehydration
Occurs Frequently in Older Folks Because of Physiological Changes
As we age, we lose muscle mass, which is largely protein, and replace muscle
with fat. Protein in muscle contains more than 70 percent water whereas fat doesn't
contain water. Due to other physiological differences, women have less body
water than men. So, seniors start with less total fluids.
As a person ages the kidneys have less urine-concentrating ability. This
means that the body can't hold water as effectively as a younger person's.
Thirst response declines with aging. Older folks just don't get as thirsty as
the younger folks.
Taking
Care of Mild Dehydration in Adults During Illness
If you are sick with a fever, diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting, it is very
important to drink beverages (such as water, tea, soft drinks, juices, and milk)
and eat foods with high water content (such as broths, soups, puddings, gelatin
desserts, ices, ice creams, and fruits). Try sucking on ice chips or frozen cubes
to keep your mouth moist and contribute to fluid intake.
Dehydration Due
to Intense or Strenuous Exercise
It is important to stay hydrated during intense or strenuous exercise,
especially during the warmer times of year by consuming enough fluid to replace
that lost to sweating. If you become mildly dehydrated, drink small sips of
water to replace lost fluids. The typical American diet contains adequate
minerals to replace lost electrolytes or a sports drink can used for electrolyte
replacement.
If you are moderately or severely dehydrated, see a physician immediately!
How much water do I need?
It is generally accepted that the average sedentary adult man needs about
eight 8 ounce glasses of water and the average adult sedentary woman requires
approximately six 8 ounce glasses of water daily. Increased physical activity,
temperature, altitude, fever, vomiting and diarrhea increase replacement fluid
requirements.
A pregnant woman has a slightly increased water requirement because of the
expanding extracellular fluid space, the needs of the fetus, and the amniotic
fluid. A lactating woman must replace the fluid lost in breast milk.
Only decaffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages count toward meeting your daily
fluid intake. Caffeine and alcohol act as mild diuretics.
Tips
- Take water
breaks throughout the day
- Have a glass of
water, tea, or juice with your meals. Start off with a cup of soup.
- Never pass a water
fountain without taking a sip.
- Drink water
before, during, and after physical activity.
- Take a bottle of
water with you in the car or on the plane.
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