Summer Fun #5: Dehydration

​When we don’t drink enough fluids to replace what we have lost… well, just imagine that shriveled up, thirsty plant on your windowsill… Similar things happen to us 2 and 4 legged creatures, too.

Too much sun, not enough shade. A game of beach volleyball, golf or tennis. A mountain hike on a beautiful summer's day. Hot days, in general. Sitting on the beach and your cooler is now empty (on that note, drinking alcohol in the sun). All of these activities can leave you parched. 

Don't think you're protected from dehydration because you are keeping yourself cool in the pool. I guess I never really thought about it, but sweating while swimming is a thing. Maughan (et al. 2009) and (Cox et al. 2002) show we do. Sengun (et al. 2012) found dehydration in professional underwater divers. The dehydration experienced in water athletes is less than those doing their thing on land, but it’s still there. 

Heat, exertion, fever, breastfeeding, high altitude, diarrhea and vomiting can all lead to dehydration, regardless of the time of year.

There are plenty of recommendations out there for how much and how often to drink water and plenty of counter-recommendations, too. I leave that to you to figure out what is your necessary hydration requirements as there appears to be no “universal consensus” (Armstrong and Johnson 2018). Though far less common, just remember that over-hydration is also a thing (Hew-Butler et al. 2019).

How to know if you’re getting enough liquid?
Mayo Clinic (2020) says you should rarely feel thirsty and your urine should be light in color. 

For infants: sunken eyes or the soft spot on their heads is sunken; no tears when crying; dry mouth and not producing much urine (Raab 2021) can indicate they are dehydrated or on their way to being.

Older children may complain of dizziness or headache, extreme thirst or they may be lethargic (The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne 2018). For more information on Pediatric Fluid Management, click here.

I was under the impression that the skin pinch test was a way to determine hydration status, but according to (Goehring et al. 2022), it's not reliable. I'm not convinced, however. It's apparently a decent indicator in dogs (Goucher et al. 2019). I say it's one more easy step to take to keep an eye on things.

For pets, rapid and heavy panting and dry gums are two signs (First Aid for Pets 2018).

Dehydration can be a life threatening condition, especially in children. Do not hesitate to seek immediate medical attention.

What to do about this?

Prevention is key. For mild to moderate dehydration, drink up!
Water, coconut water or even commercially available rehydration supplements — though, I would caution against the chemical concoctions (you know the brightly colored drinks); they come with their own set of yuckiness.

Get Well Soon: A Guide to Homeopathic First Aid (Norland 2016) suggests using a mixture of 1/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp honey or sugar in a pint of water and taking a tablespoon every 15 minutes if you are worried about dehydration during sickness.

Similarly, the Drs Banerji recommend: “salty water (1/2 teaspoonful of common salt in half a glass of cold water) to be given frequently — one tablespoonful at a time — and repeated whenever the patient feels very thirsty” (Banerji and Banerji 2013).

Might homeopathy help ward off dehydration?

Perhaps.
The Banerjis also recommend Natrum muriaticum 6x and Kali phos 6x (2 tabs each together), taken every 3 hours to combat dehydration. 

Now what? I drank some water but I still feel crummy. 

For the after-effects of mild to moderate dehydration, consider these remedies:

• Cinchona officinales or China officinales would be my first consideration. Weakness, chilliness, feels better lying down or bending double; collapse or fainting. Confusion. Sunken eyes. Buzzing or ringing in the ears. China is a good remedy following the loss of any bodily fluids which sap your energy.

• Phosphoric acid is worn out, unable to answer in complete sentences; spacey or absent-minded. Craves fruit and juicy things. A crushing headache felt on the top of the head.

• Carbo vegetabilis craves air, wants to be fanned (the opposite of both China and Phosphoric acid). Headache with a sense of constriction (as if the head were in armor) and headache from being overheated. Excellent remedy for someone who is unresponsive.

• Veratrum album: a state of collapse with extreme coldness and sudden weakness. Chills and shakes. Muscle cramps. Craves sour and sour fruit, salt and/or ice. Mental confusion. Intensely thirsty but may vomit as soon as the water is swallowed.

• The cell salt Natrum muriaticum is a homeopathic remedy made from common table salt. In general, excessive moisture or in this case, exceptional dryness in any part of the body can be an indication that Nat Mur may be helpful. A craving for salt may also be present. Headache, as if from hammers. (Nat mur can be used as a cell salt (6x), as mentioned above, or in potency, 30c, for example.)

Whichever remedy you choose, take every 15 minutes until feeling some improvement and then extend the time between doses. If, after a few doses there is zero change, choose another remedy.

For more information on ailments from the sun, see: Summer Fun #1: Sun.

Here's to staying cool, wearing a big hat, seeking the shade and sipping some lemonade (maybe even with a couple of cell salts added to it!) Or, if you want something a little more substantial, here are links to other homemade homeopathic anti-dehydration recipes: here and here. 

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits.com

Reference list:
Alton, J. and Alton, A., 2021. The survival medicine handbook : the essential guide for when help is NOT on the way : a Doom and Bloom guide. United States? Doom And Bloom Llc.

Anon., 2022. Tea at the Treedome [online]. Encyclopedia SpongeBobia. 

Armstrong, L. and Johnson, E., 2018. Water Intake, Water Balance, and the Elusive Daily Water Requirement. Nutrients [online], 10 (12), 1928. 

Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Calabrese, J., 2015. Ditch the Gatorade and Make My Sons’ Homeopathic Electrolyte Drink [online]. joettecalabrese.com.

Cox, G., Broad, E., Riley, M. and Burke, L., 2002. Body mass changes and voluntary fluid intakes of elite level water polo players and swimmers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport [online], 5 (3), 183–193. 

danastore, 2018. USING HOMEOPATHIC CELL SALTS TO HELP PROMOTE FASTER RECOVERY FROM HARMFUL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN ANIMALS by Judy Hoy [online]. Homeopathic.com. 

First Aid for Pets, 2018. How to tell if your dog is dehydrated | First Aid for Pets [online]. firstaidforpets.net. 

Goehring, M. T., Farran, J., Ingles-Laughlin, C., Benedista-Seelman, S. and Williams, B., 2022. Measures of Skin Turgor in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Wound Management & Prevention [online], 68 (4), 14–24. 

Goucher, T. K., Hartzell, A. M., Seales, T. S., Anmuth, A. S., Zanghi, B. M. and Otto, C. M., 2019. Evaluation of skin turgor and capillary refill time as predictors of dehydration in exercising dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research [online], 80 (2), 123–128. 

Hew-Butler, T., Smith-Hale, V., Pollard-McGrandy, A. and VanSumeren, M., 2019. Of Mice and Men—The Physiology, Psychology, and Pathology of Overhydration. Nutrients [online], 11 (7), 1539. 

Kight, B. P. and Waseem, M., 2020. Pediatric Fluid Management [online]. PubMed. 

Ma, N., J, P., Ja, M., Jr, M. and M, V., 2006. Acute Mountain Sickness: Influence of Fluid Intake [online]. Wilderness & environmental medicine. 

Maughan, R. J., Dargavel, L. A., Hares, R. and Shirreffs, S. M., 2009. Water and Salt Balance of Well-Trained Swimmers in Training. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism [online], 19 (6), 598–606. 

Mayo Clinic, 2020. Water: How much should you drink every day? [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software.

Norland, M., 2016. Get Well Soon -- A Guide to Homeopathic First Aid. Yondercott Press.

Raab, C. P., 2021. Dehydration in Children - Children’s Health Issues [online]. Merck Manuals Consumer Version. 

Schmukler, A. V., 2006. Homeopathy : an A to Z home handbook. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.

Sengun, S., Uslu, A. and Aydin, S., 2012. Application of multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis method for the detection of dehydration status in professional divers. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) [online], 48 (4), 203–210. 

The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, 2018. Kids Health Information : Dehydration [online]. www.rch.org.au. 


Further Reading:
Huey, R. B. and Eguskitza, X., 2001. Limits to human performance: elevated risks on high mountains. Journal of Experimental Biology [online], 204 (18), 3115–3119.

Saat, M., Singh, R., Sirisinghe, R. G. and Nawawi, M., 2002. Rehydration after Exercise with Fresh Young Coconut Water, Carbohydrate-Electrolyte Beverage and Plain Water. Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY and Applied Human Science [online], 21 (2), 93–104. 

Smith, D., 2018. Homeopathy, Tissue Salts & Bach Flowers for Pregnancy, Labour & Post-partum. bubiroo books.

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