2939: Can Dehydration Affect Your Blood Pressure by Jill Seladi-Schulman with Healthline on Hydrate Effectively

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Health Daily, Can Dehydration Affect Your Blood Pressure by Jill Seladi-Schulman with Healthline.com and I'm Dr. Neal. Hey, welcome back to Optimal Health Daily where I act as your narrator of the best health and fitness blogs covering fitness, nutrition, stress management, weight management, and lots more. And then on Fridays, I answer your questions right here on the show. All right, let's talk about hydration and blood pressure and start optimizing your life.

[00:00:33] Can Dehydration Affect Your Blood Pressure by Jill Seladi-Schulman with Healthline.com Dehydration happens when your body doesn't have enough fluids. Not drinking enough fluids or losing fluids faster than you can replace them can both result in dehydration. Dehydration can be serious. If it's left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening complications like heat-related emergencies and kidney problems.

[00:01:00] Additionally, dehydration can cause potentially dangerous changes in blood pressure. Continue listening to learn more about dehydration, its effect on blood pressure, and the symptoms to watch out for. How Does Dehydration Affect Your Blood Pressure? Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries and veins. Dehydration can affect your blood pressure, causing it to spike up or go down. Let's take a closer look at why this happens. Dehydration and Low Blood Pressure.

[00:01:29] Low blood pressure is when your blood pressure reading is lower than 90 over 60 millimeters of mercury. Dehydration can cause low blood pressure due to a decrease in blood volume. Blood volume is the amount of fluid that's circulating in your blood vessels. Maintaining a normal blood volume is necessary for blood to be able to adequately reach all of the tissues of your body. When you're very dehydrated, your blood volume can decrease, leading to a drop in blood pressure.

[00:01:58] When blood pressure drops too low, your organs won't receive the oxygen and nutrients they need. You could potentially go into shock. Dehydration and High Blood Pressure. High blood pressure is when you have a systolic or top number reading of 140 millimeters of mercury or higher. Or a diastolic or bottom number reading of 90 millimeters of mercury or higher. Dehydration has been linked to high blood pressure.

[00:02:25] However, research into this topic is limited. Additional work is needed to investigate the connection. Although more research is needed, it's still worth noting that dehydration can lead to an increase in blood pressure due to the action of a hormone called vasopressin. Vasopressin is secreted when there's a high amount of solutes or sodium in your blood, or when your blood volume is low. Both of these things can happen when you lose too much fluid.

[00:02:51] In response, when you're dehydrated, your kidneys reabsorb water as opposed to passing it in urine. High concentrations of vasopressin can also cause your blood vessels to constrict. This can lead to an increase in blood pressure. Other Symptoms of Dehydration. In addition to changes in blood pressure, there are other dehydration symptoms to look out for. Sometimes you'll feel these symptoms before you know that you've had a change in blood pressure.

[00:03:17] These symptoms include thirst, dry mouth, urinating less often, urine that's dark in color, feeling tired or fatigued, lightheadedness or dizziness, and confusion. Additionally, children who are dehydrated may have the following symptoms. No wet diapers for several hours. Absence of tears when crying. Irritability. Sunken cheeks, eyes, or a soft spot on the skull, the fontanelle. And listlessness. Causes of Dehydration.

[00:03:47] Dehydration. Other than not drinking enough fluids, there are other possible causes of dehydration. They can include illness. A high fever can lead to dehydration. Additionally, vomiting and diarrhea can lead to a significant loss of fluids and electrolytes. Increased sweating. Water is lost when you sweat. An increase in sweating can occur in hot weather, during exercise, and if you're sick with a fever. Frequent urination. You can also lose fluids through urination.

[00:04:17] Medications like diuretics, underlying conditions such as diabetes, and alcohol consumption can all cause more frequent urination. When to get medical attention. It's important to seek prompt medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms. Diarrhea that's lasted longer than 24 hours. Inability to keep fluids down. A rapid heartbeat. Extreme exhaustion, disorientation, or confusion. And stool that's black or bloody. For low blood pressure.

[00:04:46] A lower than normal blood pressure reading, without other symptoms, may not be a cause for concern. However, if you have low blood pressure readings along with other symptoms, it's important to get medical care. Symptoms to look out for include feelings of lightheadedness or dizziness, nausea, feeling tired or fatigued, and blurry vision. Shock is a medical emergency that needs immediate care. For high blood pressure. Dial 911 if you have lower than usual blood pressure. And symptoms like skin that's cold or clammy.

[00:05:15] Quick, shallow breathing. Quick, shallow breathing. A pulse that's rapid and weak. And confusion. For high blood pressure. High blood pressure doesn't usually cause symptoms. Most people find out about it during a routine checkup with their doctor. If you regularly take your blood pressure and find that your readings are consistently high, see your doctor. How much water should you drink each day? The key to preventing dehydration is to make sure you take in enough fluid each day.

[00:05:43] But how much water or other fluids should you drink in a day? Daily fluid recommendations can depend on several factors, including things like age, sex, body weight, your overall health, weather conditions, your activity level, and even whether you're pregnant or breastfeeding. According to the Mayo Clinic, a good goal to aim for is to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

[00:06:06] If you find it hard to drink plain water, you can also stay hydrated by drinking water infused with slices of fruit like lemon or cucumber. Or sugar-free sparkling water. Or smoothies made with fruits and vegetables, decaffeinated herbal tea, milk, and low-sodium soups. Also remember that you can get water from some food sources, particularly fruits and vegetables. Additionally, follow the tips I'm about to mention to help yourself stay hydrated. Always drink when you feel thirsty.

[00:06:35] Feeling thirsty is your body's way of telling you that you need more fluids. Remember to drink more water when you're being physically active, in a hot climate, or ill with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. Carry a water bottle with you as you go about your daily activities. That way you'll always have water on hand. And choose water instead of sugary sodas, energy drinks, sweetened beverages, or alcoholic drinks. The bottom line. Changes in blood pressure can occur due to dehydration.

[00:07:04] A drop in blood volume can lead to a potentially dangerous drop in blood pressure and even shock. High blood pressure has also been linked to dehydration. But more research is needed to fully understand the connection. You can prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids. This is especially important if you're ill, in a warm environment, or being physically active. You just listened to the post titled, Can Dehydration Affect Your Blood Pressure?

[00:07:33] By Jill Salati Schulman with Healthline.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five trip load at least. He grabs the first bag. The second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein packed Oikos.

[00:08:00] With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos, stronger makes everything better. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. A leading kidney specialist once said that the best way to know whether you're adequately hydrated is to simply look at the color of your urine. Now, this is something I mentioned many times on the show before. The Mayo Clinic's recommendation to drink eight glasses of water a day is a good starting point. But glasses come in different shapes and sizes.

[00:08:30] After all, eight shot glasses of water a day probably won't cut it. So, if your urine is light yellow in color, where it basically looks like watered down lemonade, that's perfect. And don't feel like your urine has to be this color every single time. If it's pale yellow most of the time, you're good. I also want to mention something about what's considered normal blood pressure and ways to reduce your blood pressure if it's high. So, the normal blood pressure guidelines have changed slightly.

[00:08:59] Doctors used to say that you have normal blood pressure if your top number, the systolic number, was 120. And if the bottom number, your diastolic blood pressure, was 80. But now, we're learning that a blood pressure reading where the top number is less than 120 and a bottom number less than 80 is considered normal. In fact, many health professionals believe that a blood pressure reading closer to 110 over 70 is ideal.

[00:09:28] So, if your blood pressure runs higher, you could always take a look at your hydration status and see if you can increase your water intake and see if that helps lower your blood pressure. You could also think about increasing the amount and type of exercise you do. We know that staying active lowers your resting blood pressure, particularly if you perform higher intensity activities like running. And when it comes to diet, you could lower your salt intake and increase your intake of potassium-rich foods.

[00:09:57] Potassium can help offset some of the excess salt that we eat. Foods that are good sources of potassium are, surprise, surprise, fruits and vegetables. So, the great news is that you have some control over your blood pressure. Oh, and you might see like potassium pills or supplements out there. Don't take those unless your doctor says that you should. All right, that'll do it from me for today. I hope you have a great rest of your day. And I'll see you back here tomorrow for the Friday Q&A show and where your optimal life awaits.