Symptoms impacted or triggered by dehydration
Dehydration can actually exacerbate or trigger perimenopause and menopause symptoms. And we know that water is absolutely vital just to maintain the majority of body functions that happen on a daily basis.
So, let’s take a look at some of the main symptoms to be aware of:
1. Fatigue
If your body is starved of the very things it needs to keep it going on a daily basis, your body is going to struggle, and that can then lead to fatigue. It can lead to low energy. And the thing is that dehydration can actually mimic a lot of menopause symptoms. So, it's one of these situations where dehydration can cause a symptom that could also be caused by the menopause, and it can end up being quite confusing.
2. Hot flushes and night sweats
This is quite a strange one, but if you have lots of hot flushes and night sweats, you get dehydrated. If you're dehydrated, that can impact your nervous system, which then can trigger a series of events including hot flushes at night sweats.
This one can therefore end up being a really vicious cycle that can sometimes be difficult to interpret. You don’t actually know that this is going on.
3. Brain fog & cognitive function
If you think about it, our brain needs so many different things to function. And, you know, studies have shown that if you're dehydrated, your brain actually shrinks. So how well are you going to think, if you're dehydrated? And an interesting thing here is if you get brain fog at the same time just about every day, then very often that's a really good indication that you're dehydrated and you haven't drunk enough over the last few hours.
It can also impact on your cognitive function. So, it's not just the fact that you get that little bit of brain fog; if you're dehydrated, memory recall, focusing and just generally being in the present moment can be a problem.
4. Anxiety, palpitations & panic attacks
We know too, that dehydration can trigger anxiety and palpitations. It can also cause panic attacks. So, if you're getting these regularly, it may be more to do with being dehydrated than the actual menopause or perimenopause itself.
5. Dryness
And of course, if you are dehydrated, you're going to experience dryness just about anywhere in the body. If you're regularly dehydrated, it can contribute to vaginal dryness, dry eyes, dry mouth, dry skin. It can affect your hair too causing brittle and dry hair.
6. Joint & muscle pain
Believe it or not, that joint pain and the stiffness you get first thing in the morning can just be due to dehydration.
And this is one that can resolve really, really quickly if you start drinking water. Things like muscle cramps and restless leg at night can be part of this particular picture as well.
7 Urinary problems
If you are dehydrated, your urine is going to be very strong, it's going to be very acidic, it's going to keep irritating the bladder, you're going to be running to the toilet a lot more. You're going to end up getting symptoms that are exactly identical to urinary tract issues such as cystitis.
If you're getting a lot of discomfort, you're going to the doctor, but tests are coming back negative for cystitis, it may be simple, plain old dehydration.
Tips to increase your water intake
As I mentioned in my previous blog, you need to drink one and a half litres of water at least, every day.
It needs to be plain water. Fizzy drinks, tea, coffee, fruit juices, flavoured waters (unless it's a real natural flavouring) really don't count and won't help. And, this 1.5 litres needs to be over and above your other drinks.
I start the day with a large glass of water. The minute I get up, it's the first thing that I do, regardless of whether I'm hungry or want my breakfast or a cup of tea. That is my first big drink of the day. And it makes such a difference, your body will thank you for it.
And interestingly, because you've been dehydrated all night, your body will soak this up like a sponge and you won't be running to the toilet anymore with this one. Your body will really use it.
I also recommend a nice little shot glass of warm water just before bed. It's not enough to put pressure on your bladder, but it can help to keep you hydrated during the night, especially if you're getting night sweats.
And also look at the foods you're eating. If you're having lots of natural foods with a high water content, that's going to help (although it doesn’t count towards your 1.5 litres). Foods such as watermelon, vegetables, loads of different soups, things like that can be really, really helpful.
And remember, limit the drinks that cause dehydration. That's things like caffeine, fizzy drinks and alcohol.
I hope you found this one helpful. For those of you that think, "Oh, I might be a little bit dehydrated", try the water for a week, then let me know how you feel. For those of you that have done it, how has it made your life that much better?
Until next time, take care and have a lovely week.
You may also find these topics helpful:
Surprising ways perimenopause and menopause can dehydrate you
Menopause and Dehydration: Signs you need to drink more water
