7 Signs You’re Dehydrated and How It Impacts Your Urinary Health

Imagine your household plumbing after not running water for a long time. Bacteria grow, minerals accumulate, and pipes degrade. In a way, this is how your urinary system might feel after prolonged dehydration.

Your liver, bladder, and other parts of the urinary tract serve as your body’s drainage system. When that system takes in less fluid than it releases, it becomes dehydrated. And dehydration can trigger a number of unpleasant urinary conditions.

Your urology system drains more than urine, after all. The urinary tract also carries out waste, toxins, and minerals that enter your blood every day. If you take in less water, these particles become concentrated and linger, which can have a nasty effect.

Further, a lack of fluids can upset your electrolyte balance, which is necessary for good urinary health. Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, feed your cells and remove their waste, support nerve and muscle function, and steady your heart rate, among other tasks.

Why We Dehydrate, and 4 Conditions It Contributes To

We often associate dehydration with severe sweating, but many people simply do not drink enough fluids. Gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea and vomiting, as well as excessive urination, can also cause dehydration.

Considering about 60% of your body is water, and your cells gobble up about 60% of that water, it can be easier than you might think to lose more than you take in. If you consistently fail to get enough, the following conditions can occur.

Kidney stones – Stones are small crystals formed by a buildup of minerals in your kidneys, such as salts, calcium, and uric acid. When your kidneys can’t extract enough fluid from your blood to flush these minerals out, they accumulate and bind. Tell-tale symptoms of kidney stones include pain during urination, severe pain in the back and sides, pink to brown urine, and frequent urination in small amounts. Read our “Kidney Stones Q&A” here.

Diseased kidneys – When you are dehydrated, your brain sends a hormone that tells your kidneys to reabsorb and retain the fluids they extract from your blood. Consequently, this mechanism allows the blood’s waste to build up in the kidneys. Severe dehydration also can slow blood and nutrients from reaching the kidneys, which can be damaging. If you already have kidney disease, talk to your doctor about proper hydration and potassium consumption, because diseased kidneys are less able to remove excess potassium. Symptoms of chronic kidney disease include fatigue, muscle cramps, dry skin, blood in the urine, and swollen extremities. Nutrition tips for kidney health, here.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) – A UTI occurs when harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, creep into your urethra and enter your bladder, irritating and infecting the tract. Because kidneys make less urine when you are dehydrated, these bacteria aren’t as likely to be flushed away and have a chance to flourish. Even on its own, highly concentrated urine can irritate and weaken your urinary tract, making it vulnerable. Symptoms include burning urination, cloudy urine, and producing little urine despite an urge to go. Read our “Urinary Tract Infection Q&A” here.

Bladder inflammation – It takes 9 to 10 hours to fill your bladder, during which time it stores urine (doctors recommend you urinate every 3 hours). If your body makes less urine due to dehydration, your bladder stores it and the collected minerals longer, which can irritate and inflame its lining. Dehydration can also trigger flare-ups in people with painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis. Staying well-hydrated helps manage symptoms, such as pelvic and bladder discomfort, pain during intercourse, and a frequent need to urinate.

7 Important Signs of Dehydration

Are you merely thirsty or dehydrated? If you feel the following symptoms, you’re dehydrated.

• Your pee is dark (healthy urine is pale yellow to golden).
• You have headaches.
• You feel light-headed.
• You feel weak and fatigued.
• Your eyes and/or cheeks look sunken.
• Your skin is dry and remains pinched after you squeeze it.

Dehydration Defense: 5 Practices for Healthy Urology

The best defense against losing too much fluid is to drink water when you are thirsty, and even if you are not. Women should drink 11.5 cups a day, and men, 15.5 cups, according to the U.S. Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

We also suggest these tips for good hydration:

1. Water down cocktail hour. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you urinate more. This can interfere with the kidney’s ability to balance electrolytes. When drinking alcohol, take turns with water and eat something; drinking on an empty stomach can worsen dehydration.
2. Take prescriptions with (more) water. Certain medications can make you urinate more or otherwise drain you of fluid. These include diuretics, laxatives, anticholinergics (for asthma, COPD, overactive bladder, and IBS), beta blockers (blood pressure medicine), and antipsychotics.
3. Drink more as you mature. Chronic dehydration affects up to 40% of people older than 65, according to a report in UCLA Health. A number of aging factors explain why: your kidney function declines, you lose water-storing muscle mass, and you feel less thirsty.
4. Protect against the sun. Washington State has few sunny days in winter, but when the sun does peek out from the clouds, be diligent about wearing sun protection, including a hat with a visor. The winter sun’s UV rays can give you a sunburn that dries your skin and raises the risk of dehydration.
5. Think about electrolytes. While water usually suffices for hydration, if you lose too much fluid from sweating, illness, or other causes, you might need to replenish your electrolytes. Symptoms of electrolyte imbalance include muscle cramps, spasms, and salt cravings. Choose electrolytes with sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride. Natural electrolyte options include avocados, bananas, sweet potatoes, shellfish, and unsweetened coconut water.

Your body’s drainage system, like your household plumbing, is crucial to your quality of life. Keep flushing it with fluid, and if you experience any of the symptoms described in this blog, seek an appointment with a urologist.

Ready to learn more about improving your urinary health? Contact our offices to request an appointment at 509-747-3147. To learn about the conditions we treat, visit our medical services web page.