Dry as a Prune

Two scary things happened lately. One was that I fainted for the first time in my life. I had been sick with what I imagine was a 48 hour bug that included fever for a day and chills, and not a lot of eating or drinking, despite the warnings to drink fluids.


When I finally felt human enough to get up from bed, I promptly dropped to the floor. When I awakened, I looked up at the mountain that my bed had become, struggled to my knees, and climbed Everest to my pillows.


It was so disconcerting to my family that I was rushed to emergency care. The young doctor (She looked 12--although these days, everyone looks 12--policemen, firemen, nurses--they all look like my students) said that it could be any number of things. Her exact words were... "well, you know at your age....".  Good heavens...I was already sick. Did she really have to add insult to injury? It was annoying enough to cause a rise in my blood pressure.

After some probbing and blood work, it was determined that I was probably (the reason they call medicine a practice) dehydrated. I was admonished to go home and drink (wine sounded like a good idea, though it was not what the doctor had in mind.)


The second incident was when the blood work came back; it indicated that my kidneys were not functioning as well as they should have been. Well, it turns out that some medication that another doctor had put me on was the culprit. That determination came after many expensive tests and numerous appointments with a kidney specialist.


The medicine was causing chronic dehydration, and it was impacting my kidney function. Needless to say, I stopped the medication and became a camel. My water bottle became another appendage. 


Until I began to research what kidney disease was all about, I hadn't worried too much about dehydration, but now I know just how dangerous it can be, especially for people "our age", even dangerous enough to cause hospitalization.


Water, though not exactly the fountain of youth, is at least the “fount of life” and the most critical substance in the human body. Every organ, tissue and cell needs water to function. It transports nutrients, promotes digestion, and carries away waste. Controlling body temperature and ensuring proper blood volume, water keeps skin, mouth, nose and eyes moist.


Preventing thirst is crucial, particularly for those over 60, as it suggests that the optimum level of water in our bodies (50-75% of weight) is already compromised. Seniors are at particular risk because as aging occurs, the amount of water in the body is reduced and the ability to recognize thirst signals greatly diminished.


If enough water isn’t ingested, the body will drain the body’s organs and tissues. Symptoms are: headache, fatigue, poor circulation, muscle spasms, kidney failure, and increased body temperature and pulse rate. Weakness will escalate, and labored breathing, dizziness, and even delirium can result.


A minimum of 64 ounces per day of water, the no-calorie beverage absorbed faster than any other, is the remedy. Milk, juices, soup, and at least five servings of fruits and vegetables (high water content) are good sources for additional fluid intake.


So drink up!   Especially water...just in case you missed all those bolded words.