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Three Reasons We Become Dehydrated: Sports, Socializing, and Sickness

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There are three primary ways we are susceptible to dehydration: Sports, Socializing, and Sickness. Did you know that hydration is critically important to your overall health for many reasons to include regulating body temperature, keeping joints lubricated, preventing infections, delivering nutrients to cells, and keeping organs functioning properly? But, did you also know that being well-hydrated improves your sleep quality, mental cognition, and overall mood.

Water is vitally important to our well-being because the human body is comprised of about 60 percent water. Our bodies crave balance—and by extension we need water to maintain that balance. What we do not want is dehydration! Even being just a little bit dehydrated can have a big impact on your well-being. For example, just a slight decrease in hydration can lead to trouble concentrating and tiredness. You may also notice your muscles feel more tired and weak, and even cramp. Dehydration can also lead to weight gain, kidney stones, rapid heartbeat, sleepiness, lack of energy, confusion, irritability, and more. Your body will tell you that you are dehydrated because you will feel very thirsty, have a dry mouth, urinate or sweat less than usual, have darker-colored urine, notice your skin appears drier, and you will probably feel tired and dizzy. But it is your job to listen!

In general, the recommendation for daily fluid intake is 125 ounces of fluid every day for men and 91 ounces a day for women, which is a big change from the old recommendation we are all familiar with: 64 oz/eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. The main difference is that the new recommendation accounts for all fluid intake including water, juice, tea and even coffee. Yet, we still get dehydrated!

As adults, there are a few primary ways that we are more susceptible to dehydration—the three “S’s!” Sports, Socializing, and Sickness.

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Sports

Whether you have been an avid athlete all your life, work-out on occasion as best as you can, or just got into running marathons, dehydration can happen. In our busy lives, it can actually be fairly easy to become dehydrated because we are always on the go. Additionally, we may be really great about getting our morning cup of coffee, but not so great about getting enough water throughout the day. There are days when we drink coffee or tea in the morning, but do not get enough water, start running on fumes by mid-day, yet still push ourselves to get that work-out in, and bam, next thing we know, we are dehydrated. In general, we are usually good about listening to our bodies, but it doesn’t change the fact that we have already reached the point of mild-to-moderate dehydration and are off-balance—and as a result, not feeling our best. Doing this repeatedly has long-term effects (like the aforementioned kidney stones, insomnia, irritability, etc.)

Socializing

The dreaded hangover because you had too much to drink the night before! It seemed like a good idea at the time, but over-drinking is never in your favor. Why? Well, ethanol (also known as alcohol) causes rapid fluid loss from your body, which is why you wake up feeling terrible the next day—because you are dehydrated. In our society, drinking is a social norm, but not necessarily a good one. Over-drinking on a regular basis can lead to a lot of unintended consequences and more damaging long-term health issues like blackouts, heart damage, liver damage, dependence, infertility, diabetes, and much more. The good news is that you can prevent dehydration by not over imbibing (we know, you are rolling your eyes at our obvious statement)!

Sickness

Sickness cannot always be avoided. Try as we might, sometimes we catch a cold, get the flu, or worse, contract COVID-19. In any event, overcoming sickness takes time, and drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated is critical, especially if you have a GI Bug. But, becoming dehydrated while sick can happen easily because you may not have an appetite, do not feel like drinking fluids, and are likely taking some kind of medication to stave off symptoms. This can be a recipe for disaster and lead to dehydration very quickly. If you cannot bear anything else while ill, drink fluids!

The reality is that we all lead busy lives and we all have instances where we might have overdone (or underdone) things and need a little bit of extra help. IV Vitamin and IV Hydration infusions can be an excellent solution. Administered intravenously (so your digestive system is bypassed), wellness infusions bring a much higher level of nutrients to your body and organs and deliver them directly and quickly through the bloodstream. Athletes, performers, actors, and more have relied on IV Vitamin and IV Hydration infusions for decades, and certainly hospitals rely heavily on them in more critical scenarios. In situations of mild-to-moderate dehydration, a Restorative Infusion can be a big help! I like the Restorative Infusion for sports recovery, sports conditioning, general dehydration, fatigue, and hangovers. It is great for replenishing electrolytes, restoring fluid balances, and reducing acidity. It can also help with detoxification by flushing out your system. I am also a huge proponent of the Immunity infusion, which is a potent restorative infusion that contains a high dose Vitamin C along with B Vitamins, extra Zinc, electrolytes and trace essential minerals. It is ideal for revitalizing your immune system, boosting energy, reducing inflammation, promoting healing, and illness recovery.

If you would like to learn more about Avesta Ketamine and Wellness, please review our About Us page our Wellness Infusions page.

Ketamine Infusions in Bethesda, MD, McLean, VA and Washington, DC

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