The Dehydration Myth

[AndriaD]

There's one symptom of dehydration that hasn't even been mentioned here -- fainting. This one happens to me enough times for me to be concerned -- leg cramps are painful and annoying, but passing out cold really gets your attention. The thing is *I never notice I'm dehydrated* until I get the leg cramps, or if that doesn't get my attention to start hydrating, then I get faint, and sometimes pass out completely. I couldn't figure out what was causing this, as I had experienced no previous symptoms of any kind -- other than the leg cramps -- so I went looking online for possible reasons for "idiopathic" fainting. Dehydration is very high on the list of possible causes, and when I considered the leg cramps I had suffered usually just a little while before, with *no* other symptoms, I was forced to consider that this might be the reason -- I have somewhat low blood pressure anyway, and considering that blood is largely made up of water, it makes sense.

Since the last fainting event, I've taken my hydration a bit more seriously, and have experienced no further faintness or fainting spells -- but when I get those blasted cramps, I know I need to do something quick, or risk hitting the floor -- and that can really hurt, when you finally come to.

Andria

 

[birdSmok]

Refreshing your mouth with water between flavors is always good. You even want to freshen the mouth after a long vape of the same flavor. It in my opinion only enhances the flavor of the vape.

 

[obediahx]

Regardless of what myths are out there, all I know is that when I vape I feel much more dehydrated and that's enough for me to know to drink more liquids!

 

[birdSmok]

I drink water all day. I never put 2 and 2 together.

 

[garnier81]

I'd be really surprised if humans evolved on 8 glasses a day. But since we've got it, might as well drink it

 

[Glenn_K]

I love these links! In the first one claims that nutritionists and doctors believe that we get much of our minimum water intake requirement thru our regular diet -- including things like coffee and tea. If this is true, I must be one of the most hydrated people on earth.

-- Glenn

It is true that you should hydrate more while you are vaping; I believe there is still a lot of myth and misconception about hydration around these parts.

snopes.com: Eight Glasses: Water vs. Coke

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-reinagel-ms-ldn-cns/dehydration-myth_b_1080956.html

 

[garnier81]

If your pee aint golden, and you ain't got black bags under your eyes then your probably not dehydrated!

 

[AndriaD]

If your pee aint golden, and you ain't got black bags under your eyes then your probably not dehydrated!

As I stated earlier, due to my all-day tea drinking, my urine is so clear it's almost the color of water.... yet I get leg cramps, and have sometimes fainted, from dehydration. While dark urine is almost certainly an indication, nearly-clear urine can't be used to verify that you're not dehydrated.

Or maybe it's simply that my incessant urination and hot-flash sweating depletes me not only of water, which I somehow manage to replenish, but those all-important electrolytes -- because the Powerade can prevent leg cramps, or treat them if I get them anyway.

If electrolytes get depleted, you're at risk for a lot worse than leg cramps or fainting -- like a heart attack!

Andria

 

[Plumes.91]

Great apes use water to fill their stomachs when they haven't had something to eat. Primates/apes have opiate receptors in our stomachs. When we eat food or fill up on liquids, our receptors reward our brains. So naturally, animals without cognitive abilities above chemical and cognitive instinct, are going to enjoy filling up. This drives animals to eat. It triggers the same reward center of the brain that we vapers like to trigger with our nicotine. So when an animal hasn't eaten much for 1-2 hours, they naturally gravitate toward the watering hole to get their fix of endorphins. An ape will drink until his stomach is busting with water. They can take down liters of water in one trip to the river.

Human beings, whom are part of the ape family, only drink when we feel our throats or mouths getting dry. (a lot of us are guilty of this) Drinking is a hinderance to us. Reward? Please... We have external stimuli that blows a cool drink out of the water. Television. Text messaging. We couldn't be more bombarded with external stimuli, which triggers our natural endorphins. So things like filling up on water do little for us. But yes, our bodies are definitely designed to be filling up on water. You ever realize how you don't need to poop until you get home from work? Your body has adapted to only pooping in comfortable situations. As you age, this causes problems, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Holding in your urine frequently for you entire life also causes problems in old age as well. An animal is designed to release it's bowels and urine when it needs to release it's bowels and urine. Not an hour later.

 

[~Sue~Feb2012]

I love these links! In the first one claims that nutritionists and doctors believe that we get much of our minimum water intake requirement thru our regular diet -- including things like coffee and tea. If this is true, I must be one of the most hydrated people on earth.

-- Glenn

Yup, me too, because I thought I should to drink a glass of water for each cup of coffee or other beverage to compensate lol

 

[birdSmok]

I like your description of a pound.