Dehydration
- Dehydration is simply not having enough water in your body;
- It may result from inadequate water intake and/or from losing body water, and can develop rapidly or slowly;
- Many people don't even realize they are dehydrated because they have become so used to feeling below their best.
Signs of Dehydration
- Symptoms of mild dehydration can be difficult for teachers to spot;
- In class some children may become irritable, tired and less able to concentrate;
- By the time
they get home many children are complaining of tiredness or headaches
and some may be too lethargic to do anything but slump in front of the
television. Although we may think of this behavior as normal, it is now
known that it may, at least in part, be due to the effects of
dehydration;
- Teach your
children to recognize when their fluid intake is too low as the urine
becomes concentrated - small amounts of deep yellow, cloudy, or smelly
urine. If ttheir urine's no darker than the color of pale straw,
odorless and copious they're OK.
Dehydration and Brain
- Water makes up about 80% of the brain and is an essential element in neurological transmissions;
- Poor hydration adversely affects a child's mental performance and learning ability;
- Symptoms of
mild dehydration may include tiredness, headaches and a feeling not
unlike jet lag, as well as reduced alertness and ability to
concentrate;
- Mental performance including memory, attention and concentration can decrease by about 10%, once thirst is felt;
- Mental performance deteriorates progressively as the degree of dehydration increases;
- Thirst is usually felt when dehydration results in 0.8 - 2 per cent loss of body weight lost due to water loss;
- For a
10-year-old child weighing 60 pounds this is equivalent to one or two
very large glasses of water, which is the amount a child could lose
during a PE lesson or running around in the playground;
- Water consumption also has an immediate alerting and revitalizing effect;
- Water can contribute to a more settled and productive learning environment, and helps to instill good habits;
- The key to boosting the capacity to learn is to keep well hydrated throughout each day.
The Effects of Dehydration
- The early
effects of even mild dehydration are significant for health, well
being, performance and learning. In the long term dehydration can carry
a higher risk of a number of health problems and disease states. These
include constipation, continence problems, kidney and urinary tract
infections, kidney stones, and some cancers. In some scientific
studies, a decrease in cancer risk was specifically associated with
water, as opposed to any other fluids;
- There is a link between not drinking enough and day and night wetting problems;
- Low fluid intake is also a contributory factor in constipation and soiling;
- If children
do not drink adequately during the day, their urine becomes
concentrated which can irritate the bladder and may cause daytime
wetting;
- Insufficient
daily fluid intake can also reduce bladder capacity. If children then
drink when they get home, their bladder may not be able to cope and
bed-wetting may result;
- When children
start drinking more during the day they may initially need to go to the
toilet more, but once their bladder capacity has improved, they will
need to go less frequently but will produce larger quantities of urine;
- It is the
experience of continence advisors that certain other drinks such as
fizzy drinks, drinks containing caffeine, blackcurrant juice, and a
high consumption of milk, particularly before bedtime, may be linked to
wetting problems.
Water and Wellness
|
|
