Hydration is common advice when you get sick with the cold or the flu – drink lots of fluids. Depending on who is giving you advise, keeping up a steady intake of water, tea, or the occasional Pedialyte will help you recover faster and ease your symptoms. But at some point—perhaps after your fourth trip to the bathroom—you’ve probably wondered: Is drinking all this fluid actually helping?
The short answer is yes! There are several contributing factors that cause you to lose fluids when you’re sick. High fever, vomiting or diarrhea or just loss of appetite can lead to dehydration.
If you’re fighting a cold or you’re in the throes of flu-like symptoms, fighting off dehydration can be difficult. You might want to supplement your water intake with an electrolyte solution such as Pedialyte. For a run-of-the-mill cold, you’ve probably been told to ramp up you’re Vitamin C intake but be careful to avoid sugary juice beverages.
Although orange juice has vitamin C and potassium that can help your immune system, it’s also loaded with sugar, which has inflammatory properties. Instead, it is recommended that you drink plain water with a squeeze of fresh lemon or orange juice from a wedge to get a splash of vitamin C and more flavor.
Another reason people can get dehydrated during cold and flu season is because these illnesses tend to happen in the winter when the air is drier. This is especially true when you’re indoors and the heat is turned on. This doesn’t necessarily lead to total dehydration in your body, but it can lead to dryness in your nose, eyes and mouth.
These areas of the body – the nose, eyes and mouth- are called mucosal surfaces of the body and need to be rich in fluids and moist to have optimal operation. Hydrating helps to maintain efficient operation and helps to protect you from getting ill.
How Much Should I Drink If I’m Getting Sick?
There’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation for how much you should drink if you think you’re getting sick. You should still aim to drink about eight glasses of water per day—roughly 64 ounces—but recent studies have called that target into question, suggesting that it depends on how active you are, what climate you live in and if you suffer from illnesses where your body doesn’t process water appropriately. When in doubt, use your common sense. Are you thirsty? Is your urine a darker shade of pale or light yellow? Then you should probably have some water.
What Are the Early Signs of Dehydration?
Early signs of dehydration include increased thirst, feeling weak, not urinating a normal amount and fatigue. More severe symptoms might include confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness and rapid heart rate. If you fear you may have serious dehydration, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Can IV Hydration Therapy Help Me with Dehydration and My Symptoms?
You don’t need to suffer unnecessarily with fever, aches and pain. Through IV Hydration Therapy we can offer immediate rehydration, help to replenish vital nutrients, include an anti-inflammatory for the pain and even include some secret weapons to boost your immune system.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to fight infection. However, dosing too high via Vitamin C supplements can cause stomach upset and even diarrhea. You can avoid these issues because IV Hydration Therapy completely bypasses the stomach. Making it an effective treatment for colds and flu.
Don’t Let Cold or Flu Season Slow You Down. Stay Hydrated!
When you receive IV Hydration Therapy, the solution rehydrates and replaces fluids lost to help you feel better fast. Don’t let cold and flus season slow you down. If your symptoms are early and you’d like to boost your immune system quickly, schedule an IV Hydration Therapy Drip. Life is too short to spend it feeling sick!
New Location Opening in February 2020
We’re opening a new onsite location early February 2020 – featuring comfy chairs and convenient appointments at 650 New Road Suite D, Linwood New Jersey – or our Mobile IV Nurse Team comes to you. Call 609-732-2499 to schedule an appointment at the new location in early February.
For the Mobile Nurse Team schedule ONLINE now.
Sources:
- WebMD “How Much Water Should I Drink?”
- British Nutrition Foundation: “Healthy Hydration Guide.”
- American Academy of Family Physicians: “Hydration: Why It’s So Important.”
- Gov.UK: “Dehydration — Symptoms.”
