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The Importance of Hydration

Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
811
I want to underline the importance of hydration in this post.
While not exactly a "survival" experience in the manner that most people
on here would term survival, this is none tne less as important as any
other experience.

Over the last couple of days, I have been experiencing cold / flu like symptoms.
Not pig flu, but just a regular type of flu, although no less severe.
Anyway, after coughing, feeling like crap, having sore achy muscles and
a chronic lower back condition, I spent a fair bit of time in bed.
Last night was no different. Was in bed early, getting lots of rest, had
taken some ibuprofin for the back pain, but was generally just being one of
those sick guys that drive their wives nuts when they get sick.
About 3 am, I had to get up to go to the bathroom, so I hauled my carcass out
of the bed, plodded to the bathroom and relieved myself.
While sitting on the toilet, I experienced a very dry mouth, so I finished up
in the bathroom and went to the kitchen for a drink.
No sooner did I get a sip down my throat, that I started feeling like I was
going to throw up, so, cup of water in hand, I plodded as quickly as I could
back to the bathroom.
Very suddenly, I got extremely dizzy, and heard the sound of a thousand rivers
rushing wildly past my right ear.
I realized that I was going to pass out, so my thought was to get to the
bedroom and get horizontal as quickly as I could. My body thought otherwise
however, and I bounced off the bedroom door frame and collapsed on the floor.
Everything went black, and then I hears my wife yelling at me. Everything
went black again.
Finally, I started to become conscious again, and after a few minutes, was
able to crawl back into bed.

My wife (who has medical experience) said that she asscertained I was breathing,
and that I wasn't hurt badly, and had just phoned 911 when I became lucid again.
From their questions, it was determined that I didn't suffer a heart attack or
a stroke, so they told me to stay at home, and if there were any other incidents,
to phone them back and they would dispatch an ambulance.
After talking to the doctor this morning, it was determined that my situation
was caused by dehydration.
Foolishly, I thought that I was getting enough fluids in my body, but I didn't
take into account that my tea with lemon and honey was actually dehydrating me
(the caffeene), and that my body was using up fluids at an alarming level due
to fight off the illness.

Survival can happen anywhere, at any time, and under any circumstance.
Mine was luckily, in my house with medical attention handy.
If this had happened in the bush, the possibility of getting seriously hurt
would have been far greater.
A lesson learned, by me at least, and I'm thankful that the circumstances in
which I learned it were as good as they were.
 
Caffeine free tea :thumbup:
Really glad you're OK, and hope you feel better soon!
 
I second the moral behind this post. When I was in boot camp in southern California, I witnessed an 18 yo kid collapse while doing pull-ups. The corp-men (and women) were unable to revive him on scene, so he was transported to the nearest naval base. Turns out he had heat stroke (from lack of proper water levels in his body). Apparently his condition was so bad that he completely fried the regulatory nature of his circulatory system, and would forever have to avoid high heat conditions and make absolutely certain that he was drinking massive amounts of water. (He was unable to sweat to cool off his body after that incident). :eek:

Lesson learned for this jarhead!
 
Glad to see you are ok now!

Caffeinated drinks must be negated by an equal amount of water or you are dehydrating yourself. So if you drink a 12oz can of caffeinated beverage, it takes 12 oz of water just to negate that. So you should drink 64+ oz of water a day to be properly hydrated, and that 12oz of caffeine above means today you need 74oz.

If you are active this can be increased to as much as half your body weight in pounds converted to oz of water. So I'm 248lbs and typically drink 64-80oz of water a day normally. If I'm active or on an excercise program (not currently by the 248lb mark!) I would need and have used as much as 124 oz of water per day!!

This spring when I was working on losing weight, I was drinking 100-120oz of water a day.

Another good way to know if you are getting enough water is that what goes in, should come out! So if you drink 32oz of water and only urinate a cup, you aren't properly hydrated! And chances are that it's yellow and maybe even "acidic"...

I drink almost nothing but water now, some caffeine free sodas and milk. When I drink caffeine, I know I need that much more water or won't be doing anything the next day or two for it to matter.
 
Dehydration is one of the worst sicknesses I've ever experienced. Earlier this year I was sick as a dog and couldn't sleep and had no energy to work either. I soon realized that I had forgotten to drink anything. It took a week or more to get back to normal.

Glad you are ok. I never want to experience it again.
 
Glad to see you are ok now!

Caffeinated drinks must be negated by an equal amount of water or you are dehydrating yourself. So if you drink a 12oz can of caffeinated beverage, it takes 12 oz of water just to negate that. So you should drink 64+ oz of water a day to be properly hydrated, and that 12oz of caffeine above means today you need 74oz.

If you are active this can be increased to as much as half your body weight in pounds converted to oz of water. So I'm 248lbs and typically drink 64-80oz of water a day normally. If I'm active or on an excercise program (not currently by the 248lb mark!) I would need and have used as much as 124 oz of water per day!!

This spring when I was working on losing weight, I was drinking 100-120oz of water a day.

Another good way to know if you are getting enough water is that what goes in, should come out! So if you drink 32oz of water and only urinate a cup, you aren't properly hydrated! And chances are that it's yellow and maybe even "acidic"...

I drink almost nothing but water now, some caffeine free sodas and milk. When I drink caffeine, I know I need that much more water or won't be doing anything the next day or two for it to matter.

Very good points.
I should have realized what was happening, but when you're sick, you don't
tend to think rationally, you tend to think about comfort foods and drinks.
For me, it was Earl Gray tea with lemon and honey. AND I didn't back it up
with water, which is what I should have done, would have done if I'd been
thinking straight.
Thanks for the info.
 
Dehydration is one of the worst sicknesses I've ever experienced. Earlier this year I was sick as a dog and couldn't sleep and had no energy to work either. I soon realized that I had forgotten to drink anything. It took a week or more to get back to normal.

Glad you are ok. I never want to experience it again.

I'm starting to feel a bit better this afternoon, but have been in bed all day.
Couldn't agree with you more about dehydration being a bad sickness.

Glad you came through it alright.

I didn't realize that I wasn't hydrated enough until afterwards. I wonder how
many people do that?
 
I'm starting to feel a bit better this afternoon, but have been in bed all day.
Couldn't agree with you more about dehydration being a bad sickness.

Glad you came through it alright.

I didn't realize that I wasn't hydrated enough until afterwards. I wonder how
many people do that?

I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. It really messes up your mind and everything else.
 
Glad it wasn't anything more serious.

I drink between 4-6 liters of water a day, depending on activity level. This, plus drinking milk, and whatever water I get from fruits and veggies and other stuff I eat. I like to make sure I'm hydrated. If I pee yellow, I try to get a drink right away.

Sometimes after a night of drinking(alcohol), I'll wake up thirsty. I'll have a glass of water, then another, then another. For whatever reason, sometimes I just can't quench my thirst. I've probably drank 2-3 liters of fluid at a time doing this, but for some reason I enjoy it, it makes the water taste better when you really want it:)
 
Caffeine free tea :thumbup:
Really glad you're OK, and hope you feel better soon!
The wife is already pumping that stuff into me....I'm getting those caffeine
withdrawal headaches now, but I see the need.

eric the red said:
I second the moral behind this post. When I was in boot camp in southern California, I witnessed an 18 yo kid collapse while doing pull-ups. The corp-men (and women) were unable to revive him on scene, so he was transported to the nearest naval base. Turns out he had heat stroke (from lack of proper water levels in his body). Apparently his condition was so bad that he completely fried the regulatory nature of his circulatory system, and would forever have to avoid high heat conditions and make absolutely certain that he was drinking massive amounts of water. (He was unable to sweat to cool off his body after that incident).

Lesson learned for this jarhead!

That is very scary. I can see it during the summer time or hot weather,
but it got right by me for this time of year.
 
This has become a good thread on informing others of the importance of drinking plenty of water to stay properly hydrated. Armies of the past have tried to "condition" their troops to working on less water, it never worked! The only way to be properly hydrated is to get enough water in the system at all times.

Water bottles are a good way to keep track of how much water you drink daily. I like 16.9oz bottles myself as I tend to drink one quickly and keep track of how many I drink each day. I tend to start with one prior to work, then four at work and two or so in the evening if I'm at home not doing much. If I'm active, I try to drink one an hour. I've tried larger bottles, but then they tend to sit around too long and get warm, I don't like warm water. Cold is good, but I don't like it on the verge of turning to ice either. Having water at your favorite temperature makes it easier to drink enough as well!
 
Dehydration is sneaky, as you often don't think you need any water because you are not thristy. I often do 20-30 mile multiday hikes in the summer and carry a 3 liter water bladder and I sometimes have to remind myself to drink to fend off dehydration. I drink about 6 liters of water a day on summer multi-day hikes. My rule of thumb is that if your urine is clear, your hydrated, if not, drink until it is. Dehydration can make you feel real friggin crappy, and is serious in the back country.

I always cary a water filter even on the "easy" 4-10 mile dayhikes to fill up the bladder just in case. Even though it is a P.I.A to stop and pump water, it is better then getting helo'd out becuase of dehydration. I can't tell you how many times I see hikers with no water bottles or packs trudging through the forrest on a day hike, woefully unprepared. Those are the ones that make the 6 o'clock news here in the N.W.

Another sneaky one is heat stroke of which I have suffred from, man that is not fun :barf:
 
Thirst:

If a person is "thirsty" it has been said they are already in the first stages of dehydration. Thirst is your body telling you it "needs" water, not "wants." So never wait until you are thirsty to drink water.
 
If one has serious illness the body often needs more water. I am amazed by how much water I consume in a day. When I go out to the cabin I carry a 10 liter container of water. After 24 hours most of that water is used up, with maybe 2 or 3 liters left. Most of it has been used as drinking water, with only a liter and a half used for coffee and tea.

I am not in the best of health, and my body simply demands water, or my skin starts crawling and fatique becomes overwhelming but yet in a dehydrated state sleep is not possible. I constantly have to 'water up', and drinking a liter of water goes down like nothing.
 
I can't believe that a recruit suffered heat stroke at MCRD San Diego. I went through there about 13 years ago and we were monitored on how much we drank and how our urine looked (color). It never even gets real hot down there. That guy must not of been drinking water at all!! Not a good thing, I've seen several people go down from heat related injuries and it's not pretty. Glad to hear you recovered and found out what caused the issues.
 
Pedialyte or a generic alternative when you are losing fluids from both ends. Originally for toddlers, who can dehydrate quickly, these formulas are great for flu and the oogies. Way better than gatorade...way more expensive, too.
 
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