Dehydration affects your brain, kidneys and heart - Know what happens to your body when it is dehydrated

• The human body is made up of about 60 per cent water

• Drinking enough water is important for the body to be healthy, and for efficient body functions

• Here is what happens inside your body when you do not drink enough water

New Delhi: About 71 per cent of the Earth's surface is water. About 60 per cent of the adult human body is water, and about 90 per cent of the body weight comes from water. The stats speak for the importance of water in our body. Water is one of the bare necessities, and survival without drinking water is difficult and impossible, if prolonged. 

When it comes to the vital organs of the body, the brain and the heart are composed of 73 per cent water, and the lungs are about 83 per cent water. The skin contains 64 per cent, muscles and kidneys 79 per cent, and the bones contain 31 per cent water respectively. The amount of water required by the body depends on various factors like lifestyle, age, gender, among others. However, not drinking enough water can lead to many complications in the human body.

What happens to your body when you do not drink enough water?

You will be surprised to know that your body is not dehydrated when you feel thirsty, it has already become dehydrated, and your thirst mechanism lags behind. This is why it is recommended to drink water regularly, without waiting to feel thirsty in the first place.

What dehydration does to your brain

While there is little data available when it comes to dehydration and the human brain, it seems that when you are dehydrated, the brain fluid decreases. This reduces brain function and temporarily affects cell function. Dehydration can, therefore, affect your mood significantly, and reduce attention, memory and motor coordination among other brain functions. 

Here is how it affects your kidneys

Your kidneys are the organ responsible for flushing out waste from your body, in the form of urine. Urine, as we know, is significantly affected by the amount of water we drink. When you are losing water from your body, without making up for it by drinking enough, the cells in the kidneys receive the signal to retain water in the body. This leads to your body urinating less. As a result, toxins from your body are also not flushed out, as much as they should be. 

Dehydration can affect your heart

All liquids in your body are affected by the amount of water your drink, and your blood is no different. When your body is dehydrated, the water content in the blood is reduced, which causes the blood to become thicker. This makes it very difficult for your cardiovascular system, as thicker blood is difficult to pump to the rest of the body. Extra pressure on the cardiovascular system can increase heart rate, and increase blood pressure. Constantly high BP has been associated with the risk of various heart diseases and conditions like heart attack, stroke, etc. 

How dehydration affects the rest of the body

Other aspects of the body that not drinking enough water can affect include the cells in your body. The cells shrink and are unable to perform their respective functions properly and efficiently when there is a deficiency of water. Dehydration can also affect the body's ability to control temperature and cause hyperthermia, a condition where the body's temperature is higher than normal.

 This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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What is Hyperthermia? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments You Needto Know

Though it's usually welcomed after long winters, summertime—and the hot temperatures that come with it—can pose some pretty significant health risks. And if you're planning on spending time outside right now in excessive heat, it's essential to educate yourself about heat-related illnesses, commonly known as hyperthermia.

Overall, "extreme heat is defined as summertime temperatures that are much hotter and/or more humid than average," the CDC explains on its website. The agency also says that "humid and muggy conditions can make it seem hotter than it really is," and that there's no set standard for what's considered excessive heat, because some place are hotter than others, and higher-than-normal temperatures are measured by what's considered average for a particular area.

Here's what you need to know about hyperthermia in the summertime, including what the symptoms of heat illnesses are, and how you can prevent and treat them.

What is hyperthermia? 

Hyperthermia is a catch-all phrase for heat-related illnesses, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The agency adds that, in general, hyperthermia is "an abnormally high body temperature caused by a failure of the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body to deal with the heat coming from the environment."

It's the opposite of hypothermia, a condition in which the body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, leading to a dangerously low body temperature, per the CDC.

"Hyperthermia occurs when core body temperature is markedly elevated or above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit),” Sara Hogan, MD, health sciences clinical instructor at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and dermatologist at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, tells Health. “Hypothermia occurs when core body temperature is 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or lower, often when body heat is lost to a cold environment.”

The most commonly known forms of hyperthermia or heat-related illness—which exist on a spectrum—include: heat fatigue, heat syncope, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Some forms of hyperthermia—like heat exhaustion and heat stroke—are worse than others. 

"Depending on how high your body temperature gets, there is risk it can become life-threatening," Ula Hwang, MD, an emergency medicine doctor at Yale Medicine and professor at Yale School of Medicine, tells Health. In these cases, a person's body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself down—up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher—which can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs, per the CDC.

While hyperthermia is most commonly associated with exposure to outdoor heat on a very hot, humid day, or over-exerting yourself in high temperatures, Dr. Hwang adds that it can also occur while "being indoors in an extremely hot room for a long time."

Who's most at risk for hyperthermia?

There are also a number of chronic conditions—such as heart, kidney or lung disease—that can make you more susceptible to the complications from hyperthermia. 

Dr. Mieses Malchuk adds that other risk factors for hyperthermia include not drinking enough water, living in an overheated space without air conditioning, lack of mobility, overdressing, overcrowded spaces, and having any sort of cognitive impairment that may interfere with your ability to respond to hot weather (for example, advanced brain disorders like dementia). Those who perform strenuous exercise outside in hot temperatures are also more susceptible to heat-related illnesses, though this is most common in younger people.

What are the symptoms of hyperthermia?

Because hyperthermia includes all heat-related illnesses, the signs and symptoms are varied. According to the CDC, the symptoms for the different types of hyperthermia include:

of heat stroke:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F)
• Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Unconsciousness

Signs of heat exhaustion:

• Heavy sweating
• Paleness
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting

Signs of heat cramps:

• Muscle pain or spasms in the abdomen, arms, or legs.

Signs of heat rash:

• Red clusters of pimples or small blisters on the neck, chest/underneath the breasts, groin, or elbow creases

How can you prevent hyperthermia and how is it treated? 

Fortunately, hyperthermia can be easily avoided and many cases can be treated without long-term complications. "Hyperthermia can be prevented by wearing lightweight clothing, staying hydrated, seeking shade and taking time to rest in hot weather,” says Dr. Hogan. “If you must be outside, stay in cooler and shaded places (use an umbrella) and wear light-colored clothing,” adds Dr. Hwang. 

However, If you suspect that someone is suffering from a heat-related illness, NIH suggests taking the following steps for treatment:

• Get the person out of the heat and urge them to lie down in a shady, air-conditioned, or other cool place.
• Encourage the individual to shower, bathe or sponge off with cool water.
• Apply a cold, wet cloth to the wrists, neck, armpits, and/or groin.
• If the person can swallow safely, offer fluids such as water, fruit and vegetable juices, but avoid alcohol and caffeine.

More severe forms of hyperthermia, like heat stroke, can also be fatal. If heat stroke is suspected, the NIH suggests seeking immediate emergency medical attention by calling 911. Once the person is in medical care, treatment techniques vary but can include immersion in cold water, cooling blankets, or intravenous fluids to address dehydration, says Dr. Hwang.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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