How to Avoid Winter Dehydration
February 08, 2021 | Farah Jassawalla

How to Avoid Winter Dehydration

Dehydration is often associated with the sweltering heat of summers however, dehydration in the winters is a very real and common issue. While we lose a lot of water through sweat in the summer months, we also consume more because our body tells us to. 

This is not the case in winters, so we often consume very little amounts of water each day because we don’t really get thirsty. But this can cause dehydration and result in other health problems, so it’s important that you learn how to keep yourself hydrated no matter what the season is.

What Is Dehydration and How Does It Affect Our Body?

Your body loses water every day of the year in various forms like urine, sweat, respiration, and other bodily functions. The amount of sweat may differ from day to day or region to region, but moisture is still lost in other ways.

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluids than it consumes. It manifests in different ways like darker-colored urine, dry lips and mouth, fatigue, and feeling the need to urinate every few times throughout the day.

If left untreated, dehydration can be very dangerous and taxing on your body. You could suffer from seizures due to loss of electrolytes or even reach fatal amounts of decrease in your blood pressure. 

Consuming less water lowers your blood volume and hence your blood pressure. This means less blood flow to your organs and less filtering being done by your kidneys. As a result, toxic waste builds up in the body, causing further problems.

Drinking Warm Water for Hydration

We often put off drinking water in winters because it makes us feel colder but a simple solution for that is to consume warm water. You can store warm water in a temperature-maintaining water bottle and drink that as you would normally drink tea or soup, except you can and you should consume water in much higher quantities. 

This is a great way to hit two birds with one stone because not only do you keep yourself hydrated, but you also provide warmth to your body without consuming a caffeinated drink, which causes dehydration.

There are also health benefits associated with drinking warm water like better digestion and a reduction in stress levels.

Eat Your Water

With the onset of winters come several juicy and watery fruits which, if consumed in healthy amounts, can help prevent winter dehydration. Clementine, pears, and Brussels are examples of some very hydrating foods that are in season during the winter months. 

Eating such foods can provide your body with some much-needed winter hydration, along with healthy amounts of water consumption. While these are great options to keep yourself hydrated, these foods are not a substitute for water. Both things should go hand in hand.

Layer Up

Wearing multiple layers of breathable fabrics instead of woolen clothes can help reduce perspiration, hence water loss from your body. There are several guides online that show you how to do layering right so that you don’t have to lose moisture unnecessarily.

Rehydrate if You See Any Warning Signs

The steps above are all about preventing dehydration, however, if you notice any signs of dehydration you should focus on rehydrating yourself. For that, it’s important to know what the signs are. As we mentioned above, dark and less frequent urine, dry mouth and lips, tiredness, or dizziness are all signs pointing to dehydration.

You should be even more mindful of this if you work out and it’s equally important to know that consuming water in sips is much better than forcing large amounts of water down your throat.

Visit our website Shifa4u for more resources relating to proper hydration and health in general.

 

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Farah Jassawalla

Farah Jassawalla is a graduate of the Lahore School of Economics. She is also a writer, and healthcare enthusiast, having closely observed case studies while working with Lahore's thriving general physicians at their clinics.