Cold weather can actually increase your risk of dehydration. According to a study conducted by Robert Kenefick, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of New Hampshire, people do not drink as much in the colder months because the hormone that triggers our sense of thirst reacts differently when we are exposed to cold weather. Ensuring you stay hydrated and payin close attention to a few important body signals can help prevent dehydration this season.
The body’s normal mechanism in hot weather is a chain reaction of events triggered by sweating: The body sweats, causing the blood volume to decrease; this triggers the hypothalamus (the brain’s thirst center), which then triggers the brain to send out a demand for an increase in fluids, which we normally feel as thirst or a dry mouth (Prescription for Nutritional Healing, fourth edition, 2006, Penguin Publishing).
However, in cold weather our bodies react in a completely different way. “People just don’t feel as thirsty when the weather is cold,” says Kenefick. “When they don’t feel thirsty, they don’t drink as much, and this can cause dehydration.”
While human beings can go without food for as long as forty days, we cannot survive more than a week without water. It’s no surprise, considering our bodies are composed of nearly 70 percent water. Water is a vital commodity used by the body to carry on almost all bodily processes. Not only does dehydration lead to several minor health concerns, but if a person is chronically dehydrated, serious health problems can begin to stack up.
According to the Mayo Clinic the signs and symptoms of dehydration include the following:
Mild to moderate symptoms of dehydration:
- Dry, sticky mouth
- Thirst
- Muscle weakness
- Headache
- Dizziness or Llightheadedness
Severe symptoms (a medical emergency) of dehydration:
- Extreme thirst
- Irritability and confusion in adults
- Very dry mouth, skin, and mucous membranes
- Lack of sweating
- Little or no urination -- any urine that is produced will be dark yellow or amber
- Sunken eyes
- Shriveled and dry skin
- Rapid heartbeat
- Fever
If you notice any of the above severe symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately.
If you are chronically dehydrated, you can also experience a myriad of health problems from headaches, obesity and exhaustion, to kidney stones and arthritis. Also, dehydration leaves your body susceptible to common colds and flues. So what’s one to do for cold weather dehydration? Basically the same as in hot weather. Pay attention to the warning signs of dehydration and make sure to drink plenty of water. “A good way to monitor proper hydration is to examine urine output – the color should be nearly clear,” says Kenewick. So, stay hydrated and stay well this season!
