Is Dehydration Associated with Other Disorders?
Dehydration occurs when the optimum level of fluids in the body decreases. In certain circumstances, the body cells lose water rapidly and the intake of fluids is not enough to compensate for this loss, the body cells get dehydrated and exhibit symptoms of stress. The common symptoms of dehydration include a headache, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog and muscle cramps. The symptoms subside if the fluid levels are adequately replenished. Prolonged or severe dehydration can result in severe complications; besides, it can also aggravate any existing medical condition.
Research has concluded that dehydration affects the following ailments in more ways than one:
Kidney Stones
Among other causes of kidney stones, constant low urine volume takes a major share. Low urine volume means there is less fluid in the body to push out the body wastes; this can increase the concentration of salts in the kidney. The excess salts start depositing within the kidney tissue to form stones. Stones that are smaller in size may pass from the ureter to the bladder from where they are passed out with urine. Larger stones get lodged in the ureter where they hinder the passage of urine causing immense pain and discomfort.
Dehydration is one of the primary causes of low urine volume. People living in hot humid climates, high altitudes, doing hard physical labour or not taking enough fluids are affected by the condition. Drinking fluids is also recommended to flush out the stones from the ureter to the bladder.
Failure of the kidneys
Kidneys are primarily responsible for filtering wastes from the body. They also control the balance of electrolytes, blood pressure and the production of the red blood cells in the body. When the body is dehydrated, there is not enough fluid in the body to filter out the wastes; this can lead accumulation of these harmful substances in the kidney. Over a period of time, this can lead to frequent infections of the kidney.
Kidney failure symptoms are as a result of waste products accumulation in the body which may lead to breathlessness, confusion, weakness and lethargy. There may be no symptoms of kidney failure until the disease has progressed to a dangerous level.
Acute kidney failure is a condition in which the body suddenly loses its ability to filter waste. It may occur suddenly and cause the fluid and the toxin levels in the body to rise precariously. One of the causes of this condition is low blood volume, which in turn, is caused by severe dehydration.
Heat Rash
When the sweat glands of the skin are obstructed, the heat generated within the body cannot reach the skin’s surface to evaporate; this leads to inflammation that causes a rash.
The main cause of heat rash is an increase in body temperature. Dehydration can affect the condition by aggravating it; taking plenty of fluids can help in controlling the temperature.
Colitis
Colitis is the inflammation of the inner membranes of the colon. It can be caused due to various reasons including microscopic colitis, allergy responses, infections, inflammatory bowel, and ischemic colitis.
Depending on the source, colitis symptoms include:
• Pain in the abdomen
• Diarrhea containing blood or not
• Cramping
Keeping the body well hydrated becomes a major problem for these patients. Frequent Diarrhea causes excessive loss of body fluids and it becomes difficult for the patients to maintain electrolyte balance. In these cases, it is often found that the patient has to be hospitalized for dehydration.
Staphylococcus Aureus
Also known as staph, Staphylococcus is a collection of bacteria that may lead to many diseases.
Because of the bacteria’s generation of toxins or direct infection, the staph infections may result into a disease. Food poisoning, boils, toxic shock, impetigo, and cellulitis are some of the diseases that result from Staphylococcus.
Dehydration is a side effect of this infection.
Hypotension
In this condition, the blood pressure is so low that the blood flow to the vital organs is affected. In extreme conditions, this may lead to shock.
Dehydration is one of the primary causes of low blood pressure.
Muscle Cramps
Cramps are caused when muscles contract, unwillingly, with force and fail to relax. Nearly everybody suffers from a muscle cramp at a certain point in their life.
Dehydration can lead to muscle cramps; as the level of fluids in the body decreases, the heart pumps the blood away from the skin and muscles to the vital organs in the body. Changes in electrolyte levels and the rise in temperature may cause muscles to cramp involuntarily.
Type 1 and 2 diabetes
Diabetes results from inadequate insulin production or when the body is not able to use insulin properly. Being a chronic disease, diabetes is linked with abnormal high sugar levels in the blood. Dehydration and diabetes are closely linked. When the blood sugar levels are high, you urinate frequently, resulting in rapid loss of fluids from the body, which in turn increase the concentration of sugar in the body. This cyclic, cause and effect relationship can become a problem for diabetes patients.
Gout
This is a kind of arthritis that leads to inflammation, normally in a single joint, that starts unexpectedly. Deposition of uric acid minerals in a joint causes gouty arthritis.
The level of uric acid in the body is directly related to the levels of fluid in the body. Depletion of water increases the concentration of uric acid in the blood; the uric acid accumulates in the form of sharp, needle-like crystals that cause gout. Dehydration not only causes but also aggravates the condition.
Hypernatremia
When the body is dehydrated due to vomiting, diarrhea or excessive sweating, along with the water, it also loses sodium. There is a minimum level of sodium that the body cells must maintain to ensure their survival. When the sodium levels in the body deplete, the cells try to regain the electrolyte balance by absorbing fluids from the surroundings. This can cause swelling of the cells to the point of rupture. It is a dangerous condition and may prove to be fatal if it affects the cells in the brain or other vital organs.
Pyelonephritis
This is a kidney infection.
- It is among the infections that affect the urinary tract
- It is very common particularly in females who are young
- It is as a result of bacteria that have entered the urinary tract normally through the vagina or anus
- Factors that contribute to it include a history of the infection of the urinary tract, sexual intercourse, kidney stones, urinary catheters, use of spermicides, diabetes, surgery of the urinary tract or pregnancy
- It is not communicable
Dehydration can aggravate the condition.
