Dehydration Can Cause Chronic Pain

Feeling Thirsty? You're Already
Dehydrated and Shriveling Up.

Thirst is a late indicator for the onset of dehydration. Being chronically dehydrated changes your physiology and creates unhealthy complications that are often mistakenly labeled as diseases.

Prevention is simple and many of the signs and symptoms can be reversed simply by regularly drinking enough pure water to remain adequately hydrated.

Do you experience chronic pain?... In your joints, muscles, stomach, gut, or back; or perhaps you have frequent headaches or chronic constipation? Your body may use chronic pain to warn you that you have become chronically dehydrated.

There are about a hundred trillion cells in the human body and, when the body lacks sufficient water, cells begin to dry up and wrinkle, causing their inner processes to malfunction.

The human body is approximately 75% water and 25% solid matter. The brain is about 85% water and is extremely sensitive to any depletion of its water content. It's estimated that about 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

This is an especially serious concern among the elderly because, as we age, our thirst perception diminishes. More than one-third of people have a weak enough thirst urge that they misread it as hunger! Thirst is a poor way of monitoring your water needs because a dry mouth sensation means your body has already become dehydrated.

Signs and symptoms can include:

• increasing thirst
• dry mouth
• weakness or fatigue
• lightheadedness (especially if worse on standing)
• darkening of the urine
• a decrease in urination frequency or amount

Tea, coffee, juice, alcohol, and sodas cannot be substituted for water. Fluids that contain caffeine and alcohol have a diuretic effect and cause the kidneys to flush some of the body's water reserves.

Some Health Issues That Often Get Labeled As Disease
May Actually Be a Crisis Complication of Dehydration.

1. Allergies occur when antibody production is suppressed during dehydration, and the decreased antibody supply is inadequate to deal with foreign agents such as pollen.

   Histamine activity is increased as an emergency measure for the secretion of fluids onto the membranes covering the eyes and nasal passages. This 'water rinse' is the only way to get rid of the pollen that is not neutralized because of the suppressed antibody production.

2. Asthma is often a crisis response to the condition of being chronicly dehydrated. Histamine is an important neurotransmitter that regulates the thirst mechanism and establishes a system of water rationing in a dehydrated body.

   When the body isn't sufficiently hydrated, histamine production increases and is released into the lungs, causing the bronchioles attached to the air sacs to constrict in an effort to conserve water that normally evaporates during breathing. Histamine also stimulates the production of thick mucus that partially plugs the bronchioles as a protective mechanism to keep them from drying up from exposure to the outside air.

   Replenishing the body's water supply causes the histamine to disappear from these areas, thereby relieving the 'asthmatic' symptoms. Dr. Batmanghelidj also recommends using salt as a vital part of treatment. He states that salt breaks up mucus, rendering it watery and stringy and able to be expulsed as sputum when water is plentiful.

3. Arthritis means 'joint inflammation'. All joint surfaces are padded with cartilage, a tissue containing a large amount of water. Cartilage separates the bony surfaces of the joint, allowing the opposing surfaces to glide smoothly.

   When cartilage starts to dry out, gliding produces greater friction and shearing stress. The cartilage becomes damaged and sets up a process of inflammation that leads to pain and stiffness.

4. High Blood Pressure - 'Essential hypertension' is often the result of gradually established dehydration. The physiological mechanism is too complicated to get into here, but the less water there is in the body, the more (blood) pressure is needed to hydrate vital cells.
5. Cholesterol - Elevated cholesterol is often a direct result of chronic dehydration. When the inner environment of cells start to dry out, the cell membranes have to be sealed off to prevent further seepage of water. This defense mechanism causes the liver to produce more cholesterol, a waxy substance that helps to 'waterproof' the cell membrane.
6. Chronic Pain may be an indication of localized thirst - a warning of dehydration in a specific area. This may manifest as a migraine headache, joint pain, back pain, or several other pain indicators.

7. Constipation - The small intestines liquefy solid foods so that nutrients can be taken up into the bloodstream and delivered to the liver for processing. Once the nutrients are extracted, the colon (large intestine) and the end of the small intestine reabsorb most of the water for use in other parts of the body.

   When the body is low on water, the motility of the lower intestines slows down to allow more time for reabsorption of water from the fecal contents. This water-preservation method results in chronic constipation, which can predispose a person to cancer of the colon and rectum.

8. Depression often results from insufficient levels of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, must be able to reach the brain in order to be converted to serotonin.

   Dehydration can interfere with the transport of tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier. Also, when there is not enough water to adequately detoxify the body, the liver uses more tryptophan as an antioxidant, causing a shortage for the production of serotonin.

9. Insomnia - Melatonin is a tryptophan by-product that aids in regulating the sleep cycle. Therefore, when tryptophan is deficient because of the complications of being dehydrated, it can result in insomnia.
10. Gout is a condition where uric acid crystals collect in some joints, causing pain. Uric acid is a product of incomplete protein metabolism and appears to be associated with the advanced complications of dehydration.

Some of the many other health issues that can be a complication of chronic dehydration are:

• Diabetes
• Autoimmune dysfunctions
• Headaches
• Heartburn and Dyspepsia
• Hiatal hernia
• Osteoporosis
• Kidney stones
• Lower back pain
• Hot flashes

Drink Adequate Water...
Your Health Depends On It!

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