Apr
Dehydration
Common Causes of Dehydration
Neglect
Drinking enough water isn’t always easy. Our modern-day lives require us to manage and keep track of more things than ever before. This non-stop, always-on-the-go routine often leads to accidental neglect of our own well-being.
Getting Sick
We’re especially susceptible to dehydration when we’re sick. While our body uses more water than ever while our immune system is working overtime to get us well, symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea can cause a large loss of fluids and electrolytes.
Travel
It’s common to drink less fluids when we know we’ll be sitting for long periods on a flight or driving for many hours at a time without stopping. Along with jetlag, abnormal hours, and loss of sleep, dehydration is a common result of travel.
Exercise
Heavy sweating reduces fluid and electrolytes, which can cause mild to moderate dehydration. It’s crucial to stay properly hydrated before, during and after any type of exercise—especially outdoors in warmer weather.
Heat
Prolonged heat exposure to hot weather can raise your body’s core temperature causing a higher sweat rate. This can result in increased loss of fluid and electrolytes, especially when it involves any type of physical activity.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol depletes us of water, electrolytes and important nutrients, making hangovers longer and worse. Alcohol also causes a diuretic effect causing us to urinate more—resulting in the loss of even more fluids.
