Supplements Slip Your Mind
Theres a growing collection of dietary supplements in your cabinet that seem to be collecting dust rather than fortifying your body. You have multivitamins to fill nutritional gaps, vitamin D to boost immunity in the winter months, an omega-3 fish oil pill, a probiotic for gut health, curcumin for inflammation, a bone health supplement and more. You just cant seem to remember to take them regularly.
Quick fix: Get a pill container that breaks doses into time of day and day of the week. Divvy the pills into the container based on the label instructions or advice from your health practitioner.
Long-term hack: Use your smartphone to create a photo inventory of each supplement bottle, capturing both the front and the Supplement Facts label. Next time youre considering adding a new supplement to your regimen, cross- check it with what youre already taking to make sure youre not duplicating.
Try Spicing Up Plain Water
If you don’t love plain water, jazz it up by adding a splash of fruit juice or chunks of fresh or frozen fruit, says Sakimura. Or try naturally flavored, calorie-free seltzers their fizz and fruit flavor makes them more appealing than plain, flat water.
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Can Diarrhea Be Prevented
There are a few ways you can decrease your chances of having diarrhea, including:
- Avoiding infections with good hygiene habits: Washing your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, as well as cooking, handling, and eating, is an important way to prevent diarrhea. Washing your hands thoroughly can really help keep you and those around you stay healthy.
- Getting your vaccinations: Rotavirus, one of the causes of diarrhea, can be prevented with the rotavirus vaccine. This is given to infants in several stages during the first year of life.
- Storing food properly: By keeping your food stored at the right temperatures, not eating things that have gone bad, cooking food to the recommended temperature and handling all foods safely, you can prevent diarrhea.
- Watching what you drink when you travel: Travelers diarrhea can happen when you drink water or other drinks that havent been treated correctly. This is most likely to happen in developing countries. To avoid getting diarrhea there are a few tips to follow. Watch what you drink. Dont drink tap water, use ice cubes, brush your teeth with tap water, or consume unpasteurized milk, milk products or unpasteurized juices. You should also be careful when trying local foods from street vendors, eating raw or undercooked meats , as well as raw fruits and vegetables. When in doubt, drink bottled water or something thats been boiled first .
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When Should I Be Concerned About My Dogs Diarrhea
In most cases, diarrhea in canines can be resolved with simple R& R .
However, chronic diarrhea that carries on for a week or more can be a sign of a more serious underlying health issue especially in older dogs.
Constant diarrhea that doesnt stop after a few days will cause a dog to lose weight, weaken, and develop a compromised immune system. If it is allowed to continue, the affliction can become life-threatening for the dog.
If this is what you are experiencing with your pet, take it back to the vet immediately for further assessment and treatment. It is possible that there is something else going on, and the sooner it is diagnosed the better your dogs chance of recovery.
Factor #: Activity Level
Staying well-hydrated is what health experts around the world would advise. Its overhydration that causes problems or could lead to a life-threatening situation, which I would throw light on later.
However, the nature of the activity you engage in will determine the amount of water to consume. You cant be drinking eight glasses of water daily when youre idle at home all day and expect someone who works out to take less.
You lose water through different means. Its not just by getting rid of it out as urine. Sweat is also a means of removing excess water from the body. So, if you are involved in a highly demanding or strenuous workout, then the volume of water required would be different.
Another activity that usually requires more water is sauna therapy. You will find yourself consuming more water than you usually do while undergoing this therapy.
Again, athletes need to drink more water and stay well-hydrated even before or after their routine exercises or performance. The reason is to maintain fluid balance and for optimal performance.
Studies show that as little as 1 to 2 percent degree in hydration can affect an athletes performance, including cardiovascular function.
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Fluid Buildup In Brain
If hyponatremia happens to brain cells, the pressure inside the skull increases. The buildup of fluid in the brain is called cerebral edema, which affects the brain stem and causes central nervous system dysfunction. Brain swell can lead to speech disability, disorientation, walking instability, psychosis, and even death.
A Sudden Change In Diet
A sudden change in a dogs diet can cause stomach upset or other intestinal tract conditions which can then lead to diarrhea. Therefore, it is never recommended to switch your dogs food abruptlyespecially if it is a puppy!
The general rule when it comes to switching foods smoothly with your dog is to make a gradual change. This is without a doubt the best way to help your pups stomach and intestines to adapt without experiencing significant transitional issues.
The process of making a change of kibble usually takes about two weeks. Dont hesitate to consult your vet to help you with a transition plan if you are unsure on how to proceed!
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Stress Or Emotional Upset
Dogs that are experiencing emotional distress can become afflicted with diarrhea. According to Purina, stressful events such as adoption, relocation, boarding, or being left at home alone all day can result in runny poop.
Dogs may show certain clues during especially stressful periods, such as making crunching noises with their mouth or following you around everywhere all of a sudden.
Interestingly, stress triggers an imbalance between good and bad bacteria in the GI tract. As the bad bacteria overwhelm the good ones in periods of stress, stomach upsets occur as a result with diarrhea being a common symptom.
Thankfully, diarrhea stemming from stress is usually temporary and will resolve as the catalyst is removed. There wont be any need for any specialist treatment other than simply make sure your dog feels safe and comfortable!
Your Muscles Feel Weak And Tend To Cramp Easily
Having a healthy, fully functioning body is all about balance. When you drink too much water, your electrolyte levels drop and that balance is compromised. Low electrolyte levels can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms, including muscle spasms and cramping. You can prevent muscle problems by replacing a couple glasses of water a day with coconut water, which is full of electrolytes and 100 percent natural, or an electrolyte drinkhere are 7 that nutritionists recommend.
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Can I Manage Diarrhea Without Taking Any Medication
When you have an acute case of diarrhea, you can often take care of it without needing any medication. Several things you can do to care for diarrhea include:
- Drinking plenty of water and other electrolyte balanced fluids and caffeine-free sodas). Make sure to hydrate throughout day. Your body loses water each time you have diarrhea. By drinking plenty of extra fluids, you are protecting your body from dehydration.
- Changing your diet. Instead of picking greasy, fatty or fried foods, go for the BRAT diet:
- B: Bananas.
- A: Applesauce.
- T: Toast .
Sometimes, diarrhea can also make you lactose intolerant. This is usually temporary and it means that you need to avoid items with lactose until your diarrhea is gone.
How Can Dehydration Be Prevented
Take precautionary measures to avoid the harmful effects of dehydration, including the following:
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Drink plenty of fluids, especially when working or playing in the sun.
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Make sure you are taking in more fluid than you are losing.
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Try to schedule physical outdoor activities for the cooler parts of the day.
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Drink appropriate sports drinks to help maintain electrolyte balance.
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For infants and young children, solutions such as Pedialyte will help maintain electrolyte balance during illness or heat exposure. Do not try to make fluid and salt solutions at home for children.
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You Have Xerostomia Better Known As Dry Mouth
Some rare conditions do cause dry mouth, says Dr. Mayock. When the saliva glands in the mouth dont produce enough saliva, you may feel you need to drink more water to get rid of the feeling. If your feelings of dry mouth persist, visit your doctor for more information. Check out these ways your body changes when you start drinking enough water.
Can You Get Diarrhea By Drinking Too Much Water
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.
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Dining On Rotten Food
Many dogs are absolutely fascinated with rubbish bins and the treasures that hide within. The potential reward is so enticing to a canine nose that they will happily rummage through used tissues and soiled container lids for the last semi-edible morsel.
As you can imagine, the chances of a dog consuming spoiled foods in this manner are quite high! Subsequently, rotten foodbeing rotten tends to cause stomach upset and diarrhea. This condition is colloquially referred to by vets in the business as garbage gut.
While definitely unpleasant to deal with, diarrhea that results from eating food that has gone bad is usually not as frightening as it might first appear.
However, the intensity and frequency of diarrhea does depend on what your furry friend ate as well as the amount.
While most dogs will recover and be back to normal in a few days, there have been cases of dogs developing more serious illnesses such as pancreatitis or fungal/bacterial infections from eating decaying or raw meats .
Drinking Too Much Water & Diarrhea: How Much Water Should Be Enough Daily
The first point I would like you to know is that drinking excess water does not cause constipation. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, what causes diarrhea is bacteria or intestinal infection. Others include viral infection, parasitic infection, food intolerance, and allergy.
Okay, back to the question, how much water is enough daily? Well, the rule of thumb is eight glasses daily. This idea has been on for ages, and most people believe that it is set on stone.
But here is something you need to know about the volume of water you need to drink per day:
Saying eight glasses of water per day is ideal for everyone is not feasible. The amount of water required daily differs from person to person. You might be comfortable with eight glasses daily. Mine could be a little bit lower. Thats how it is.
So, in a nutshell, eight glasses arent set on stone. It depends on the individual in question and other factors which I will be diving into shortly.
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You Might Have Diabetes
Some patients mistake diabetes for dehydration. With dehydration, your body wants to preserve liquids, Dr. Mayock says. With diabetes, the sugar is spilling and forcing you to urinate more often. He says most of his patients exhibit three signs of diabetes: excessive thirst, excessive urination, and blurred vision. If youre experiencing all three, talk to your doctor about your concerns.
You Experience Confusion Or Disorientation
One sign of overhydration or water intoxication is a feeling of confusion or disorientation. This is linked to falling levels of electrolytes, such as sodium, in the body.
In extreme cases, drinking too much water and lowering the sodium concentration in your blood can cause your brain to swell dangerously.
If you begin experiencing symptoms, like confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness, you may want to seek immediate medical attention.
- Read more:
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How Can Heat Stroke Be Prevented
There are precautions that can help protect you against the adverse effects of heat stroke. These include the following:
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Drink plenty of fluids during outdoor activities, especially on hot days. Water and sports drinks are the drinks of choice. Avoid caffeinated tea, coffee, soda, and alcohol, as these can lead to dehydration.
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Wear lightweight, tightly woven, loose-fitting clothing in light colors.
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Schedule vigorous activity and sports for cooler times of the day.
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Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, sunglasses and using an umbrella.
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Increase time spent outdoors gradually to get your body used to the heat.
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During outdoor activities, take drink breaks often and mist yourself with a spray bottle to avoid becoming overheated.
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Try to spend as much time indoors as possible on very hot and humid days.
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Never leave children or pets in closed cars on warm or sunny days.
If you live in a hot climate and have a chronic condition, talk to your healthcare provider about extra precautions you can take to protect yourself against heat stroke.
#TomorrowsDiscoveries: Controlling the Balance Between Salt and Water â Dr. William Guggino
You Feel Tired Or Fatigued
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering the water you drink through your body and making sure the fluid levels in your bloodstream stay balanced. When you drink too much water, your kidneys have to work even harder, creating a stressful reaction from your hormones that leaves your body stressed and fatigued. If youre constantly drinking water and find yourself struggling to get out of bed, it may be because youve added unneeded stress to your kidneys. Next, learn how much water you should really be drinking every day.
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Healthy Electrolyte Hydration Options
We asked our experts about their favorite store-bought electrolyte drinks for hydration. Heres what to order before your next intense exercise session.
via amazon.com
Nuun drink tablets are easy to throw into your gym bag or car when youre headed out for a busy day in the heat.
Plunk a gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free tablet into your bottle or glass of water, and watch while it fizzes and dissolves into a flavored drink full of sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Though Nuun Sport tastes sweet , each serving clocks in at only 15 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates.
Its worth noting that four of the thirteen flavors include 40 mg of caffeine from green tea. Thats equivalent to a medium cup of coffee.
via amazon.com
This is one of my favorite electrolyte beverages because its a natural source of electrolytes, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Plus, it tastes delicious. When I drink it after an intense workout, I feel hydrated! Gorin says.
Minchen also recommends coconut water as a completely natural electrolyte drink. She recommends opting for unsweetened varieties because coconut water already contains natural sugars.
via amazon.com
Another electrolyte powder recommendation from Minchen, Ultima Replenisher is an ideal hydration solution if youre counting calories.
This stevia-sweetened powder has no calories or carbs. It is also naturally colored by ingredients like beta-carotene and beet juice concentrate.
via amazon.com
Your Medication Is Drying You Out
There are a number of medications that affect your mouth and can make you have a dry mouth, Dr. Mayock says. For example, antihistamines, certain antidepressants, and diuretics for high blood pressure list dry mouth as a potential side effect. Again, talk with your doctor if your excessive thirst is concerning you.
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When To Seek Help For Dehydration
Most nausea, vomiting and diarrhea should resolve within 3 to 5 days, however, see a physician for any of the following symptoms:
- Signs of dehydration
- A fever accompanied with nausea, diarrhea and vomiting
- Persistent diarrhea for more than 3 days
- Persistent vomiting for more than 48 hours
- Blood in your diarrhea or vomit
- Significant stomach pain that doesnt go away
- Unable to keep any fluids down
- Confusion or decreased alertness
- Lethargic or sluggish
- No urination or wet diaper in 12 hours
Your doctor can help guide you to the best course of action based on your accompanied symptoms. To find a Banner Health specialist near you, visit bannerhealth.com or find a Banner Urgent Care near you.
However, if youre experiencing severe dehydration, call 911 or get to your nearest emergency department. For 24/7 nurse advice and general health information, you can call the Banner Nurse Now line at 844-259-9494. You can also try the Banner Health Online Symptom Checker to learn what type of care you need.
How Is It Possible To Drink Too Much Water
Dietitians constantly remind us that drinking enough water is absolutely vital in order for our bodies to function properly. And it isunless you drink too much of it. Though most people look out for the signs of dehydration, overhydration is equally as dangerous. Drinking too much water can result in water intoxication, also known as hyponatremia, causing the inside of cells to flood due to abnormally low sodium levels in your bloodstream. In severe cases, water intoxication can lead to debilitating health problems such as seizures, coma, and even death.
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