Tag Archive for: dehydration

Citric Acid: Stone Killer?

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Increasing fluid intake can reduce the risk of developing stones of all types: kidney stones, gall stones, bladder stones, or uric acid crystals. But there’s one more thing you could do to reduce the risk—add some citric acid to the fluids you drink. While the research on using a form of pharmaceutical is not clear yet, this is one thing we can do with diet.

We expect electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in sport drinks, but adding citric acid can help your blood’s pH as well as reduce the formation of stones. The simplest approach would be to drink limeade or lemonade; fresh squeezed or a manufactured drink, citric acid makes the drink tart and sour. The food with the highest amount of citric acid is lime, with lemon a close second. I typically use sugar-free lemonade and add the juice from one lime in a 16-ounce container. It’s very tart but not inedible.

Avoid the mentality of “if some is good, more must be better.” Research hasn’t shown that to be true, so let’s stick to what we know. And while citric acid is a weak acid, it may still give you an upset stomach if you have too much. One lime or lemon per day seems to reduce stone formation.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Korean J Urol. 2014 Dec; 55(12): 775–779.

Don’t Forget Fluids

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With the unseasonably warm weather many of us are experiencing, I thought it was time to remind you that it’s not all about water: the emphasis should be on fluids. Coffee, tea, milk, soda, sports drinks, soup—all of those count toward your daily fluid intake.

It’s true that some drinks are better than others. Sugary drinks take extra fluid to keep your blood osmotically balanced or to store the sugar as glycogen, but all drinks count as fluid. The only drinks that don’t count are alcoholic drinks because alcohol is a diuretic; caffeine isn’t a true diuretic, so worry about the caffeine only as it affects your sleep. But the rest? All good. Don’t forget that most vegetables and fruit are mostly water, so they count as fluid as well.

How much fluid do you need? One-half your body weight in ounces (if you weigh 200 pounds, make sure you’re getting at least 100 ounces of water every day), and more if you’re in the humid heat.

There’s one more thing you could add; I’ll let you know what on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

The Most Likely Culprit: Salmonella

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Food poisoning happens more often than we think it does. Most often, we throw up once or have a single bout of diarrhea with no fever and no fatigue and it’s over. The question is how we know which type of bacteria was at fault. There’s no way to know for certain unless stool samples are tested, and that only happens if the case is severe enough that a person requires hospitalization. While I can’t be certain, my best guess is that Paula and I encountered salmonella, the most common form of food poisoning.

I base that on the length of time from the onset of symptoms and the type of symptoms. Salmonella may or may not cause a fever, but it can cause vomiting and diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 1.2 million people get salmonella infections per year but as I suggested, it could be much higher; only 23,000 people per year are hospitalized with food poisoning. Most people get over salmonella within a few days with no lasting effects.

How do you know when to seek medical assistance? When the symptoms are very severe and last longer than is reasonable: 36–48 hours would be my guess. An inability to keep anything down or severe diarrhea can cause dehydration and that’s definitely not good. Children under five and people over 65 are the most at risk for hospitalizations because their immune systems are most likely to be compromised and dehydration is a greater risk.

What should you do if you suspect food poisoning? I’ll let you know on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

The Simplest Solution for Joint Pain

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Every joint in your body has a joint capsule and within the capsule is a liquid called synovial fluid. It’s made by the inner lining of the capsule and provides nutrients to the joint cartilage and other structures. It also provides cushioning to the joint. Even when we stand, the fluid in the knee joint prevents bone from touching bone—unless there isn’t enough fluid in the joint capsule.

You can probably guess where this is headed: the simplest solution for reducing joint pain is to drink more water. The less water and fluids we consume, the more likely cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and other structures will become brittle. In addition, there will be less fluid in the joints, which could allow nerves to be pinched in the spine and bone-on-bone contact in the hips and knees. And that does not feel good.

Joint pain is a complicated process, and inflammation has a significant role to play. The cumulative damage that we’ve done to our joints over the course of our lives has consequences; they may not heal as well or as completely as they should. There may be no permanent solution short of surgery to repair or replace structures.

The primary goal for any type of joint pain is to reduce pain levels. Drinking more fluids cannot repair the structures of a joint, but it can help improve the fluid levels within the joints so they get more nutrients and increase the natural fluid levels. That could decrease pain levels somewhat, allowing us to move more freely.

As I said when I begin this week, sometimes the simplest solution is the correct one. Drink up!

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

The Simplest Solution for Migraines

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Let’s continue with the theme of the simplest solution often being the correct one. Migraines are a devastating form of headache. While most causes are unknown, people have identified triggers from chocolate to sounds to odors and more. My pretend daughter Jamie suffers from them on a regular basis.

As I researched how to deal with migraine headaches years ago, I found a pilot study that examined whether subjects could reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines by drinking more fluids. The researchers asked the subjects to drink 1.5 liters of water per day for 12 weeks. The subjects managed to increase their average intake to only one liter per day, but total hours with migraines and the intensity of those migraines decreased.

Will it work for everyone? Most likely not, but because there’s no harm in simply drinking more water every day, it will help those who were unaware that they were dehydrated; that’s not the first cause we think of when we think of migraines. It’s worth spending a month drinking more water to see if it has the same results for you or someone you know. For more potential solutions for migraines, see The Bottom Line on Migraines at the DrChet.com Store.

One more simple solution on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: Eur J Neurol. 2005 Sep;12(9):715-8.

 

The Simplest Solution for Fatigue

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One of the basic tenets of health and disease that I’ve learned is this: often the simplest solution is the correct one. Think of it this way. Whether we want to be the healthiest we can be or we have something that afflicts us, we think in terms of elaborate solutions. Instead, think of building a foundation to prevent or cure what ails us.

Let’s begin with something that can affect us all at times and that’s fatigue. The possibilities include an underactive thyroid, an adrenal issue, or pre-diabetes. But before we look at the complex, start with the obvious: drink more fluids. It may be a simple case of chronic dehydration. The lack of fluid can change the ionic balance inside cells, which can inhibit the production of energy by just about every cell including the brain and the muscles. Those two organ systems are most associated with fatigue.

Symptoms of dehydration vary. If an elderly parent seems unusually confused or a small child is drowsy and irritable when he or she is usually going full blast, try fluids first.

Before you try the elaborate solution, begin with the simplest. Drink more fluids, whether coffee, tea, plain water, or even eating more vegetables instead of refined carbohydrates. The simplest solution for fatigue may just be a glass away.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet