Headaches Health Feed

5 signs your body is lacking in water

Water is indispensable for the human body as 90% of the brain and almost 60 per cent of an adult body is chiefly made up of water. Water is just as important as any of your meals. Each cell and organ depends on water for its proper functioning and for flushing out toxins and fats from the body. An average man must consume roughly 3 litres (10-12 glasses) of water per day; and a woman requires about 2.5 litres (8-10 glasses). If you're not meeting this requirement, you might be fall prey to dehydration.

The state of water deficiency or dehydration can be determined through various symptoms. Read on to know the 5 most common signs:

1. The colour of your urine is dark

The colour of your urine indicates your health. The lesser the water you drink, the darker is the colour of your pee. If your urine is pale yellow, you drink a sufficient amount of water. If it's dark yellow and concentrated, it's a sign for you to refill on water. Also, if you haven't urinated for more than two hours, you should immediately gulp 2 glasses of water.

2. You experience frequent headaches

Headaches are often caused by dehydration when the pressure from your blood vessels falls. Dehydration makes it tough for your heart to pump enough oxygen to the brain. Drinking sufficient amounts of water ensures the flow of oxygen in your body.

3. You feel dizzy and fatigued

Lack of water can often lead to laziness and restlessness. It may also cause a rapid change in your blood pressure. Low or high blood pressures are stimulants of fatigue. Water gives you instant energy that wakes up your whole system, thus making you feel revitalised.

4. You have constipated bowel movements

Water is one of the top natural remedies for constipation or troubled bowel movements. If your fluid intake is low, you're likely to have stomach, gastric and bowel problems. The digestive system depends on water to help food move through both the intestines. It checks the functions of the digestive tract, while also keeping it flexible and clean.

5. You experience brain fogs and blackouts

Your brain cells and nerves react severely to water loss. You may start feeling a lack of concentration along with temporary memory loss. Blackouts and fogs are common when you have a deficit of water. You might even experience difficulty in carrying out cognitive tasks.

If you're experiencing similar issues, you must enhance your daily water intake. You can try carrying a sipper around, which allows you to keep a tab on your water consumption. To relish water as a refreshing beverage, you can infuse freshly chopped fruits and herbs in a pitcher of chilled water. This flavoured water also cleanses your body of all toxins and chemicals, thus keeping you fresh.

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A Jet Airways aircraft Boeing 737, travelling from Mumbai to Jaipur with 166 passengers on board, had to return to the airport as the crew forgot to turn on the cabin pressurisation system which maintains air pressure inside an aircraft to a comfortable level.

The mistake led to several passengers suffering from nosebleed, bleeding from ear and severe headache. Some of the passengers were even admitted to the hospital with these complaints.

What does Air Pressure mean?

Air pressure, also known as Barometric pressure or atmospheric pressure, is the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on earth. It is measured by a barometer in units called millibars. The standard or average atmospheric pressure at sea level on the earth is 1013.25 millibars per square inch, which is about 14.7 pounds.

What are the causes of Air Pressure?

Air pressure is caused due to air molecules present in the atmosphere. The higher the altitude, the lower is the air pressure, which makes it tough for humans to survive without proper equipment.

The aircrafts use cabin pressure by pumping in ‘bleed air’ to maintain barometric pressure. This pressurisation becomes highly necessary when the aircraft touches altitude above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) from sea level.

What health issues do low Air Pressure cause?

Low air pressure can cause mild as well as death threatening conditions which include:

Blood pressure: As the air pressure reduces, the blood pressure also starts falling. It can be observed if you are feeling dizziness or a blurred vision.

Severe headache: Change in barometric pressure can lead to severe headache or migraines by creating a pressure difference between the atmosphere and air-filled sinuses.

Joint pain: As per a study, the change in barometric pressure increases the severity of joint pain and arthritis.

Blood sugar: Change in air pressure bring cold fronts , which is not good for a diabetic person.

Hypoxia: The lower oxygen pressure reduces the oxygen tension in the lungs, subsequently in the brain. This can lead to dimmed vision, sluggish thinking, loss of consciousness and eventually death.

Altitude sickness: In the most common response to hypoxia, the human body starts hyperventilation. It does help in partially restoring oxygen in the blood but it also leads to carbon dioxide to out-gas which increases the blood pH level. In this condition, people may suffer fatigue, nausea, headache, sleeplessness and even pulmonary oedema.

Decompression sickness: It leads to tiredness, forgetfulness, headache, stroke, thrombosis and subcutaneous itching.

Barotrauma: As the aircraft climbs or descends, passengers may face discomfort or acute pain as gases trapped inside their bodies try to expand. The most common problems faced due to this situation include air trapped in the middle ear or paranasal sinuses by a blocked Eustachian tube. It can also cause pain in gastrointestinal tract or even the teeth.

What emergency steps should be taken in situation of low air pressure?

The effects of low air pressure may vary from person to person. Some people do not feel any health problems even while being at an altitude as high as 8,000 feet while some would start feeling restless from 5,000 feet onwards.

There may be many precautions including carrying an oxygen cylinder always while travelling to the high altitude places. In aircrafts, oxygen masks are provided to each passenger but if you are planning to go on a trek, you must know some important aspects of surviving at high altitude places. Have a look:

• Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption
• Avoid switching on the heater
• Take proper sleep at night with a pillow under your head
• Keep yourself hydrated and do not over-hydrate
• Do not overeat
• Never exert yourself

Emergency tips to keep yourself safe at high altitude places:

• Ginger or ginger water
• Garlic
• Clove
• Lavender oil

These things can help you keep your mind and body fit even at the reasonably high altitude places.

Viral fever is a cumulative term which refers to a group of viral infections and is characterised by high fever, headaches, body ache, burning in the eyes, nausea and vomiting. It usually comes in package with severe cough and cold.

It actually is not an ailment but is the result of an underlying cause, which is viral infection. This infection can occur in any part of the body such as lungs, intestines, air passage, etc., and the high fever is the sign of immune system of the body fighting against the invasion of viruses.

How does viral fever, cough and cold occur?

Just like its name, 'viral fever' travels from one person to another. Whenever an infected person yawns, coughs, sneezes or even talks, he/she releases tiny fluids in the environment, putting the nearby people at risk of suffering from the infection.

The infection may occur due to mosquito, tick bites or by coming in contact with the infected person’s blood or semen.

Symptoms:

Symptoms:The symptoms of viral fever include:

• High fever
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Severe weakness
• Muscle and body ache
• Painful tonsils
• Sore throat
• Burning sensation in eyes
• Skin rashes
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Running nose
• Cough

Diagnosis

As the symptoms of the viral fever have too much resemblance to other diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya, typhoid, etc., it is better to consult a doctor before taking any random antibiotic. The doctors often recommend blood test to be sure about your disease before beginning with the treatment.

Treatment

As there are no antibiotics for viral fever, the doctors prefer prescribing fever-reducing medicines. If a doctor is prescribing antibiotics, then it is to ensure that you do not get infected with any other viruses while being sick.

It is always very important to complete the full course of antibiotics recommended by the doctor. If you stop taking the medication midway, your body will create antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the same medicines will become ineffective.

How can we prevent viral fever?

Keeping ourselves and our daily activities clean and maintaining appropriate distance from infected people is the best prevention for the disease. Some prevention measures are as follows:

• Wash hands properly before eating
• Avoid eating outside in open areas
• Always cover your mouth while coughing, sneezing or yawning
• Drink as much water as you can

The doctors, however, do not give any dietary restrictions, but it is always good to follow a balanced diet and completing the course of prescribed medicines prescribed by the doctor.