Diabetes And The Threat Of Dehydration: Why Is It Important To Stay Hydrated?

Diabetes, which is a disease characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood, can be broken down into two major subtypes: type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes, which generally develops in children, the pancreas does not make insulin, which is the hormone that is necessary for glucose metabolism. On the other hand, in type 2 diabetes, the body’s cells no longer respond to insulin as they should, leading to an impairment in glucose metabolism.

Patients with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing dehydration due to high blood glucose levels, which are associated with a reduction in the body’s water content. Dehydration develops because you are losing more fluid than you are consuming, causing your body to not have enough water to carry out regular functions.

Another type of diabetes known is diabetes insipidus, which, while not necessarily accompanied by high sugar levels, is also associated with a higher risk of dehydration.

These are the symptoms of dehydration:

• Feeling thirsty
• Having a headache or dizziness
• Having dry mouth
• Having dry eyes
• Feeling fatigued or tired
• Your urine is dark colored

In extreme cases, these are some of the other symptoms of dehydration:

• Low blood pressure levels
• Eyes that are sunken in
• A weak pulse
• Rapid or quick heartbeat
• Confusion or other mental issue
• Lethargy or extreme fatigue

So what can lead to dehydration?

There are a number of reasons that can cause dehydration or increase your risk of dehydration. These include:

• Not having enough fluid intake
• Being in weather that is hot
• Vigorous exercise
• Alcohol intake
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• High blood sugar levels (diabetes)

So, how does diabetes lead to dehydration?

When there are high levels of glucose in your blood for a long period of time, your kidneys will try to eliminate the glucose from the blood by putting it into urine and excreting it out. However, when the kidneys attempt to carry this process out, water also gets removed from the body, leading to dehydration. Therefore, people with high blood glucose levels tend to have increased thirst.

Since the body is deprived of water, it will try to use water from other sources in the body which can be places such as the saliva, tear ducts and cells in your body. Hence, patients with high blood glucose levels that are dehydrated will often have dry mouth, dry eyes and fatigue.

Can dehydration lead to diabetes?

Interestingly, some studies have suggested that dehydration can actually lead to diabetes. One study in particular monitored healthy patients over a period of nine years and found that the patient’s water intake was related to their risk of developing high blood glucose levels. Essentially, people that drank less than 0.5 liter of water everyday had a higher risk of developing high blood sugar levels compared to those that drank 1 liter of water or more.

One explanation for why dehydration may actually lead to diabetes lies in the fact that dehydration causes an increase in levels of the hormone vasopressin which causes the kidneys to keep water and encourages the liver to make more sugar, which gets releases into the blood. Dehydration affects the how the body responds to insulin over time.

How do I stay hydrated?

These are several ways to ensure that you stay hydrated. These are some of the tips you should follow:

1. Consume a moderate amount of salt as that helps your body hold onto water. However, don’t overdo it since having too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure or are at a risk for developing higher blood pressure, then talk to your doctor or ask a dietitian regarding how much salt consumption is safe.
2. If you have diabetes, you should make it a habit to check your blood glucose levels when it is very hot out. If you find that your blood glucose levels are high, then drink water. This is because when it’s hot outside, you are losing fluid through sweat, which can make it quite easy to become dehydrated.
3. When you are thinking of having a snack, keep a snack that helps hydrate you. If you don’t just want to drink a glass of water, you can have a melon or frozen grapes, as they have a high water content. In fact, you get about 20% of your fluids from your food, and therefore, food can contribute greatly to your hydration levels.
4. When you plan to work out in the morning, drinks lots of fluids the night before. This is important because you are usually dehydrated when you wake up in the morning and if you go workout right after, that will lead to every more dehydration. Thus, it is best to drink lots of water before you go to bed.
5. Finally, make sure to pay attention to your body when its telling you that you are thirsty and dehydrated.