Extreme heat is expected to hit South Africa this summer as the effects of this year’s El Niño – expected to be the strongest in recent history – are felt across the country. South Africa is also a water-stressed country, meaning we are particularly vulnerable to water shortages that make it difficult to stay hydrated. As El Niño season begins, knowing these signs of dehydration in South Africa could save your life.
First, a word about hydration: Electrolytes are on everyone’s lips these days – and for good reason. When the body loses fluid, vital electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chloride) also leak out. But sipping sugary or flavored drinks all day long is still not the best approach. The extra salt can dehydrate you even further, says the American Heart Association. And they say most people don’t necessarily need to drink them in large quantities unless they’re sitting in the sun or sweating for an extended period of time. Replace your pitcher of electrolyte mix with real water – unflavored.
Before we get all scientific, a request: Please search for anyone you believe may:
- Anyone who loses consciousness is dehydrated
- has a fever over 39°C,
- Becomes confused or less attentive, or
- Shows symptoms of heat stroke such as rapid breathing or rapid pulse.
This also applies to anyone who feels worse after stopping activity, going into the shade and drinking something cold (and non-alcoholic, hello!).
Here are six important signs of dehydration that you should know and understand.
1/ Your body cannot control its temperature
Every little movement you make creates heat in your body, but our core temperatures actually remain stable, says Dr. Timothy Lightfoot, director of the Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance. When sweat evaporates from the skin, it takes some of the heat with it. But when you’re dehydrated, you don’t have enough water inside to sweat out, meaning you have to miss out on the brilliant built-in cooling mechanism. The heat remains trapped in your body and your core temperature continues to rise. If it gets too hot there, there is a risk of heat stroke, which can be shockingly fatal.
READ MORE: 8 Foods High in Water Content for Maximum Hydration
2/ Your body may stop sweating
And not even in a positive sense. In a minute, little rivulets will flow down the sides of your nose; The next time, the flow has slowed and there’s a film of dried sweat on your cheeks, even though you’re still running. Not good, says Lightfoot. “This is the body trying to regulate; we don’t have enough fluids to both sweat and pump blood to the muscles, so it starts to specifically shut down certain processes.”
As your body tries to get enough blood flow to your muscles and sweat enough fluid to remove some of the heat, sweating will subside.” The same applies if you turn a hideous shade of gray. “This is the body saying, ‘I need this fluid somewhere else,’ so it closes off the blood vessels in the face,” he says. This is a pretty extreme case. The average person going about their daily business won’t stop sweating, even if they’re mildly dehydrated, he says.
3/ Your heart has to work overtime
About 60% of the human body is made up of water, and one of the largest stores we have is our blood, says Lightfoot. When you start to dehydrate, your blood volume decreases. But your heart needs to pump the same amount throughout your body to provide the same cooling and nutrients to working muscles, he says. “A reduction in available volume causes the heart to work harder.” If your heart can’t keep up, you may be at higher risk of heat exhaustion, a less dangerous relative of heat stroke. In order to keep blood pressure constant when blood volume is reduced, your vessels constrict. This tightening could be why some people suffer from dehydration headaches, says Lightfoot.
READ MORE: What to consider when choosing a water bottle
4/ You become toddler-level moody
Have you ever felt forgetful, confused, mentally sluggish, or tearful – and then suddenly realized you were thirsty? Our brains don’t like dehydration, although researchers aren’t entirely sure why that might lead to a hissy fit, Armstrong says. One (worrying) theory is that certain areas of the brain physically shrink when there is not enough fluid. Armstrong’s research has shown that these symptoms can also appear fairly early in the dehydration process – and that they affect men and women differently. In one study, women found their mood decreased and tasks became more difficult. They suffered from headaches and had difficulty concentrating after losing just 1.36% of their body weight while running on the treadmill. In another case, men reported feeling tense, anxious and tired and noticed their memory declining after losing just 1.59% of their body weight.
5/ Your pee will no longer look like lemonade
That is, if you can even walk. A severe loss of fluids can make a bathroom break impossible, but if the result in the toilet bowl is dark yellow, you should be concerned. If it is brown or reddish in color, you need to see a doctor. “If you see that your urine is very concentrated, that suggests your body is fighting dehydration,” says Dr. Stavros Kavouras, a researcher in hydration and fluid balance. Looking at your urine is the easiest way to tell if you are dehydrated. Very few other measures have physically visible effects. You don’t want to go every 15 minutes, but if you hit your head less than five or six times a day, you’re probably not getting enough H2O.
READ MORE: We asked three cardiologists what they do for their heart health. These are her non-negotiables
6/ Your body will become thirsty
Yes, this is a piece of cake. But! Actually, we don’t get thirsty that quickly, says Kavouras. Water was not always readily available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, so we are hardwired to survive without water for long periods of time. Thirst sets in when we already have a slight water deficit, he says. Which, of course, leads us to the age-old conundrum: How much water should we really drink?
I’m sorry to bring you this unsatisfactory news, but there really is no one-size-fits-all recommendation. The Institute of Medicine estimates that men need about 3.7 liters per day and women need about 2.7 liters. But this also includes the liquid we consume through food, which accounts for about 20% of our daily water intake. “The most honest answer to the question of how much water you should drink is, ‘It depends,'” says Kavouras, on everything from the weather to your activity level to the level of the air conditioning.
Since most of us don’t sip it unless it’s right in front of us, you’ll want to keep a bottle of H2O by your side in the office. Increasing your water intake is a very cost-effective way to improve your health. At least the refill gives you an excuse to get out of your chair.
This story was written by Sarah Klein and first published by Women’s Health US. Additional reporting from the Women’s Health SA team.