Long hailed by health experts as the key to beautiful skin and weight reduction, sufficient hydration is also essential for maintaining the urological system healthy and functional.
Drinking water helps your kidneys remove waste from your body via urine and keeps your blood vessels open, making it simpler for blood to circulate and provide critical nutrients to your kidneys.
Chronic kidney dehydration may cause irreversible kidney damage, including decreased kidney function and kidney failure.
Signs that You May Be Dehydrated
Dehydration comes in several degrees. Mild dehydration, the most common cause of heat exhaustion, may induce symptoms such as:
- Excessive thirst
- Less frequent urination
- Fatigue, lack of strength or endurance
- Headaches
- Muscle weakness or cramping
- Changes in kidney, heart, or digestive function are all signs of more severe dehydration.
- Dizziness/disorientation that prevents you from standing or walking properly
- Rapid heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Fever
- Seizure
- Shock
- Bloody stool
- The good news is that mild to moderate dehydration may be remedied by consuming additional fluids, with water being the most effective thirst quencher.
Severe dehydration, on the other hand, necessitates medical attention since it may impair kidney function, raise the chance of painful kidney stones, and even lead to renal failure.
Can Your Kidneys Be Affected by dehydration?
The answer is a resounding YES. Kidney dehydration is inevitable if you are deficient in hydration. Dehydration and kidney function are connected.
Water makes about 60-70 percent of your body weight, and every component of your body needs it to operate correctly. You become dehydrated when you lose an excessive quantity of this vital bodily fluid. Water loss may occur as a result of diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, or more urine losses due to conditions such as poorly managed diabetes.
Water aids in the removal of wastes from your blood through urine. Water also aids in keeping your blood arteries open, allowing vital nutrient-rich blood to flow easily to your kidneys.
However, if you get dehydrated, this delivery method becomes less effective. Mild dehydration might make you fatigued and interfere with your body's natural activities. Kidney dehydration may cause kidney damage, so drink plenty of water while you're working or exercising hard, particularly in hot and humid conditions. In certain studies, kidney dehydration, even moderate dehydration, has been linked to lifelong kidney impairment.
Kidney dehydration may lead to a build-up of wastes and acids in the body and muscular protein clogging in the kidneys (myoglobin).
All these factors have the potential to harm the kidneys. Dehydration may also contribute to the creation of kidney stones and urinary tract infections, which, if not treated promptly, can result in kidney damage.
Kidney stones are less likely to develop when there is enough water to keep stone-forming crystals from bonding together. Antibiotics for urinary tract infections dissolve better in water, making them more effective. Water also aids in producing more urine, which helps wash away germs.
Looking at your urine may give you a general sense of how hydrated you are. If it's dark yellow, you may need to drink extra water. Whether the color of your urine is consistently dark, see your doctor determine if anything, such as a medicine, is affecting the color of your urine rather than your hydration state.
There is no predetermined quantity of water that everyone should consume. We all have varying water demands depending on our age, environment, activity intensity, pregnancy, nursing, and sickness.
You may need to limit your water and fluid consumption if you have renal failure or poor kidney function. Your healthcare provider should be consulted with any questions or concerns you have regarding dehydration and water consumption.
How Long Do The Kidneys Take to Rehydrate After Being Dehydrated?
According to new research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, drinking 20.3 oz (600ml) of water will help your body recover from moderate dehydration in 45 minutes.
Your body's ability to rehydrate is mostly determined by how dehydrated you are.
Urine output may be used to check your dehydration status. When the body is dehydrated, the kidneys strive to save as much fluid as possible, resulting in concentrated urine. As your hydration therapy progresses, the kidneys detect the increasing volume of fluid inside the intravascular space, and urine production rises.
A 24-hour period is adequate for the kidneys to get rehydrated.
Can Kidney Failure due to Dehydration Be Reserved?
Kidney failure is a common occurrence that is often reversible if it is caused by dehydration and treated promptly. The body's fluid reduces as dehydration develops, and blood pressure may drop.
This may reduce blood supply to essential organs, such as the kidneys, and, like any organ with reduced blood flow, it risks failing to function properly.
Can You Be Dehydrated Even If You Drink A Lot of Water?
It's critical to stay hydrated, particularly in the summer heat. Other things may work against you, even if you drink a lot of water.
Other causes of dehydration include:
- When stressed, your adrenal glands, which produce stress hormones, get tired, resulting in dehydration and low electrolyte levels. While increasing fluid intake might assist, the greatest long-term answer is to reduce stress.
- If you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, you won't receive enough of the water they contain.
- Some prescription drugs might induce dehydration as a side effect. Fill half your plate with fruit at each meal to get an additional cup of water each day. Many drugs are diuretics, which increase urine production and raise the risk of dehydration.
- Cutting carbohydrates from your diet might help you lose weight but can also contribute to dehydration. Carbs like oatmeal, whole grain pasta, and brown rice absorb water while cooking, which may help you stay hydrated.
- Dehydration may occur throughout any form of training. There's a danger of dehydration if you're sweating more than you're drinking water. According to Health.com, weigh yourself before and after exercise, and drink 16 to 20 ounces of water for every pound lost.
- Certain dietary supplements may cause you to go to the toilet more often, resulting in a loss of fluids. Consult a nutritionist or doctor about any possible side effects to fight dehydration.
- It becomes more difficult to remain hydrated as you grow older, and it becomes more difficult to know whether you're thirsty. Always keep a water bottle with you and track how much you've drunk daily.
How Do You Rehydrate Your Kidneys?
- Drink lots of water, especially after workout sessions
- Eat more veggies and fruits
- Before taking any supplements, consult your doctor or nutritionist
- If you’re exhausted, get enough rest
Final Thoughts
Ensure you stay hydrated. Kidney dehydration can be life-threatening if not immediately remedied. Need a medical check-up today? Try Vivoo.
