Signs of Dehydration
You have been waiting for this moment all season. Your skis are on. Your adrenaline is pumping. You are about to hit the slopes for a full day of fun. Just before you take off for your first run, you pause to feel the sun on your face; it is a beautiful day, and you are ready to go. You lower your goggles and take off. The conditions are ideal. You ski all morning. After a while, you notice you have built up a sweat. Then it hits you. You feel a little light-headed, and your mouth is dry. You realise you have not had a drink all day. Unfortunately, you have to cut your day short before you get completely dehydrated — but what is dehydration and how can it be avoided?
What is dehydration?
Simply put, dehydration is a critically low level of water in the body. It occurs when more fluid leaves the body than is put in.Why is it important to remain hydrated? Water is essential to our survival. Our bodies are primarily made up of water, and every facet of our existence depends on the critical balance of fluids exiting and entering our bodies. Everything from our cells to our blood and organs consist of water and need water to operate. Without water, our muscles begin to cramp, our brain function slows, and our bodies begin to shut down. Without water, we die, which is why it is imperative to know the signs of dehydration.
The signs of dehydration
Luckily, because water is so essential to our survival, our bodies have developed a way to let us know we need to take in water before we become dangerously dehydrated. In other words, our bodies have a built-in alert system to notify us it is time to drink water. This alert system is built around a variety of signs and symptoms — signs and symptoms we can feel to let us know our bodies are not functioning properly. Think of these signs and symptoms as an alarm going off. They are a warning that something dangerous is happening. So what are the signs and symptoms of dehydration? The signs and symptoms of dehydration include: increased thirst, dry mouth, lethargy, dizziness, headache, muscle cramps, decreased urine output and the production of yellow or dark coloured urine. Additional, more dangerous signs and symptoms of dehydration include rapid heartbeat and unstable blood pressure.
How dehydration affects the heart
When dehydration gets to a critical ark coloured urine. Additional, more dangerous signs and symptoms of dehydration include rapid heartbeat and unstable blood pressure point, it can start to affect our hearts. As we become dehydrated, the water and fluid levels in our bodies drop. This causes our blood to become thicker. When our blood becomes thicker, it becomes more and more difficult for our hearts to pump. To make up for this, the heart has to work harder. The heart has to pump faster and use more energy to circulate blood throughout our bodies, which causes rapid heart rate and dangerous blood pressure fluctuations. These increases in heart rate and blood pressure fluctuations can lead to confusion, shock, coma and death.
The bottom line
It is day two of your ski trip. You wake up to another beautiful winter day. The first thing you do is drink a big glass of water. Then you hit the slopes. This time, you stop for a break and rehydrate. You can ski all day without getting a headache or feeling light-headed. You cap off your day with an epic sunset, and you leave the mountain feeling great. When you are going to be outside all day in the sun, make sure to hydrate. Dehydration does not care what season it is. It can hit you spring, summer, fall, and even winter. Take consistent sips of water throughout the day and pay close attention to how you feel. Don’t cut your time on the slopes short, hydrate and enjoy a healthy day.
