Dehydration

[Claire926]

About 3 times this past year I have ended up with severe dehydration due to using my mobile phone in my hands or laptop on my lap for too many hours. I did some research and apparently electronic devices can cause this. I have had to use salt replenishment drink to rehydrate. I don't do that anymore and use a table when using devices like I used to before and had been fine since.

About a week ago I put a 10.5 tog duvet on and I woke up extremely hot and the same has happened again I have become dehydrated and am now having to do rehydration drinks.

I know when I worked in offices I also drank 8 glasses of water a day but have become lax in doing this. Also my family for some reason keep putting the heating on and electric fires which does not help to stop dehydrating.

I have taken my supplements again as I have read they are supposed to help regulate body temperature.

I'm not sure what I should do now as I'm 36 so I'm not going through the menopause but I am concerned about these heat episodes. I just find doctor's surgeries are not letting people visit. I may need to do a phone appointment if it carries on.

Has anyone else suffered from dehydration or can recommend any tips? Thanks.

have you ever been diagnosed with dehydration by a doctor?

@MrsTwitcher

have you ever been diagnosed with dehydration by a doctor?

I haven't due to the pandemic.

Electronic devices cannot cause dehydration.
Dehydration only happens when you are losing more fluids (by sweating, weeing or vomiting) than you are putting in.

how much fluid do you drink in a typical day?
is there heating in your bedroom that could be turned off?
severe dehydration is a medical emergency

I would imagine that the dehydration is more because you've been preoccupied and haven't had your hands free than being related to electronic devices. If you're not good at drinking enough maybe set an alarm on your phone or buy one of those smart bottles that reminds you to drink.

Is it stating the obvious to suggest that you just drink more water during the day?

Electricity and fluids don't go well together, so it won't be the devices sucking out your water, but your preoccupation with them.
Download an app that reminds you to drink.

@MrsTwitcher I agree, one time I should have gone to hospital and needed a drip but the media and government made you feel like you are wasting their time and should not go to hospital.

I agree that I need to have a timer to remind myself to drink.

I eat dried figs which doesn't help so maybe stop eating so much dried foods.

OP what made you think you were dehydrated?

I don’t understand this at all.
Get a lower tog duvet, open a window a bit and drink more, surely.
This is a self inflicted, easily remedied non issue, you don’t need to waste a GP appointment for something that you can and should sort out yourself.

Severe dehydration is a medical emergency that you wouldn't have been able to treat at home. You'd be a little bit dead right now.

I can't see any "heat episodes", just times when you managed your body temperature poorly and had a predictable outcome. Re the laptop - I assume you mean the laptop's heat causing you to heat up and lose more fluids through sweat?

@StillWeRise

OP what made you think you were dehydrated?

I end up with a very dry mouth, chest sinks and feels dry with breathing difficulties.

@Pickypolly

I don’t understand this at all. Get a lower tog duvet, open a window a bit and drink more, surely. This is a self inflicted, easily remedied non issue, you don’t need to waste a GP appointment for something that you can and should sort out yourself.

I agree, that is why I haven't been as a GP would not be happy and think just stop using the devices.

I think you're just a bit thirsty...

@user113215532352

Severe dehydration is a medical emergency that you wouldn't have been able to treat at home. You'd be a little bit dead right now.

I can't see any "heat episodes", just times when you managed your body temperature poorly and had a predictable outcome. Re the laptop - I assume you mean the laptop's heat causing you to heat up and lose more fluids through sweat?

I think I'm just worried that's all as I have not had this before and am worried now about getting too hot at night.

Electronic devices categorically do not cause dehydration. And if you feel you have a dry mouth, start by drinking just regular water, rather than paying for special drinks.

What is stopping you just drinking more, apart from just forgetting? Just drink more! Keep a water bottle/pint glass next to you and drink from it!

The only thing causing this is not drinking enough OP. This is fixable by you and no need for doctors or hospitals really.

Have you got anxiety about other health matters or is this an isolated thing? Because using your phone and laptop will absolutely not make you dehydrated, unless using them is distracting you from having a drink? And a 10.5 tog duvet isn't that high is it?

I'm not really sure I'm understanding what's going on but it sounds more like anxiety than dehydration.

Bizarre, completely bizarre thread.

What are you asking when you know what you should be doing?

Dried foods do not cause dehydration per se either, just not drinking enough! So you can eat the dried figs if you want (probably not great for your teeth if you are constantly snacking on them though).

If you were that severely dehydrated to require IV fluids you probably wouldn't know what day of the week it was. You at no point needed to go to the ED.

My advice would be to set an alarm every hour and drink 250mls of fluid.

We are supposed to drink 1.5 litres of still water a day.

To keep track of this either buy a bottle or use a measuring jug and pour out this amount. Pour all your cups of water from it during the day and see how much you have left in the bottle or jug at the end of the day. You might be surprised.

If you are still feeling rough after a few days of drinking this amount regularly (and you can drink other things in addition but they don’t count towards the 1.5L ) then that’s not right. You need to work out why. Either you must be sweating it out because you are exercising lots or there is something wrong that you need to see your GP about. Keep phoning and don’t give up.

Stay away from fizzy drinks.

Hope you feel better soon.

So you used your laptop for a long time and forgot to drink.

This caused you to get a dry mouth and feel a bit odd.

I think you are trying to tell us you got thirsty?

Oh for goodness sake Princess, go to the GP for a blood test. Proper dehydration is diagnosed by a blood test.

OP have a read of this.

blog.chewigem.com/how-interoception-affects-hydration/

It explains why you may not sense thirst and hence get dehydrated. It also gives some ideas about what do to about it.

The blog describes interoception - how we know when we are hungry/ thirsty/ in pain/ hot etc a whole range of things.