Drink Water for Eye Health
Water doesn’t get the media attention that
privileges fad diets and miracle health supplements, but it plays a critical
role in your health, particularly that of the eye. Dehydration is one of the
main causes of dry eye.
Warm weather can increase water loss by a
factor of ten, so be diligent about drinking water to prevent and relieve your
dry eye symptoms. Eye drops serve well as an immediate relief as you pound
those fluids and wait for your body to thank you.
WHAT IS DEHYDRATION?
Normal loss of water occurs all day long,
through the lungs, skin, and kidney functions. Dehydration happens when
water leaves the body at a more rapid rate than it is consumed. When the body
doesn’t have enough fluid, all organs, including the eyes, suffer.
A 3-4% water loss manifests as thirst and
general discomfort.
At 5-8%, expect fatigue and dizziness;
grogginess, sleepiness, headache, nausea, tingling of limbs.
10 % yields physical and mental
deterioration, severe thirst muscle spasms, skin will shrivel and wrinkle,
vision dims, urination is reduced and becomes painful, delirium begins.
When your body faces a 15-25% water loss,
conditions are often fatal.
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| Tear composition |
HOW DOES DEHYDRATION AFFECT THE EYES?
“Dry eye” is the loss of water content in
the natural tear film, a thin layer of oil, water, proteins, and mucus.
When you are dehydrated, your eyes produce tears with a scanty amount of
water, leading to dry eye, eye strain, and vision problems. Tear fluid water
loss can weaken the eye’s resistance to bacterial and viral invasion. Tears are
necessary for clear vision because they wash away foreign material from the
eye. helping to reduce infections and injuries like corneal ulceration.
Without proper tear production, you may
experience tired eyes, blurred vision, headache and double vision, due to the
lack of lubrication while you blink and shift your gaze. These symptoms can
also signify more serious conditions, so be sure to speak with an ophthalmologist
about what you’re experiencing.
AM I DEHYDRATED?
The best way to assess the state of your
hydration is to reflect: have you consumed the recommended daily amount of
water (12-15 cups), or are you well on your way?
Various conditions increase water loss
risks, so it is also critical to know your body. Here are some questions to ask
yourself:
How’s my breath?
Bad breath and dry mouth occur mutually,
and signal dehydration. Dehydration can prevent your mouth from producing
enough saliva, so bacteria over-grow, releasing their special fragrances into
your airstream.
How’s my urine?
If you’re well-hydrated, your urine will
be mostly clear with a tinge of yellow. Yellow, chardonnay (a very
flattering way to describe urine, I might add), and orange are “warning”
colors. When your body is about three percent dehydrated, your urine will be
noticeably yellow. When your body is about five percent dehydrated, your urine
will appear chardonnay-colored. When your body is more than five percent dehydrated
– which is considered severely dehydrated – your urine will appear orange.
How do my muscles feel?
Muscles work hard in the heat, and will
overheat and seize up. Changes in electrolytes, potassium, and sodium can cause
cramping and seizing as well.
How’s my head?
The brain sits inside a fluid sack that
keeps it from bumping against the skull. If that fluid sack is depleted or
running low because of dehydration, the brain can push up against parts of the
skull, causing headaches. Lightheadedness, sleepiness, and unproductiveness
also signal dehydration.
Check your skin:
Dehydration causes a loss in blood volume,
which leads to dry skin. You may also see flushing. To test your hydration
level, use two fingers to grab a roll of skin on the back of your hand (between
where your watch sits and where your fingers start). Pull the skin up
about ½ to one centimeter high and then let the skin go. The skin should spring
back to its normal position in less than a couple of seconds. If the skin bounces
back slowly, you might be dehydrated.
What am I craving?
When you’re dehydrated, it can be
difficult for organs like the liver to release glycogen and other components of
your energy stores, because this is done with water. You can crave anything
from chocolate to a salty snack, but cravings for sweets are more common
because your body is experiencing difficulty with glycogen production. Salty
cravings may be an attempt by your body to store water as a last attempt to
address the emergency it thinks is happening. A salt craving may last
only as long as it takes to re-hydrate.
Dry Eye symptoms include an itching or
burning irritation, blurred vision, and a feeling that foreign material is in
the eye. These occur when the eye slows the production of tears, or decreases
the amount of water in tears.
SPECIAL THREATS TO HYDRATION
Dehydration has risen to the level of a
global health crisis in the past decade. Even if you have constant access to fresh drinking water, you may still be at an elevated risk for dehydration. Pay special attention to your circumstances:
How hot is it?
If you’re reading this right now, in
mid-July, then the answer is yes, you’re at a much higher risk for dehydration.
Warm weather and humidity can increase water loss by a factor of ten or more,
and this water needs to be promptly replaced.
Are you ill?
Vomiting or diarrhea can cause severe
dehydration. Worldwide, diarrhea is the second most common cause of deaths in
children younger than five.
Are you a party animal?
Excessive consumption of alcohol can
dehydrate you very quickly. If you choose to raise your glass, meet this
challenge to benefit your body: consume water in a ratio of AT LEAST 1 to 1.
Are you Diabetic?
As the kidneys use water to remove excess
glucose from the blood, an elevated amount of water is released from the body.
Are you traveling?
Car, truck, and jetliner cabins can be
extremely dehydrating, as the strictly recycled air is often low in humidity.
The same effect can happen if you are often in an insulated, air conditioned
environment. If your rooms are too dry, put out plants or a plate of water to
evaporate into the air.
Are you older than 50?
After the age of 50, it becomes harder to
read your body’s cries for water. You may not feel thirsty as vividly, and
therefore may forget to drink the required daily amount of water. Many senior
citizens suffer from dehydration.
SPICE UP YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH WATER:
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to remember to treat our bodies well, or to convince ourselves to choose a simple glass of water over a bubbly, sugary soda. Here are some tips and habits to adopt that will make water your best friend (and soul mate).
Keep a water bottle handy:
If it’s right next to you, you’re more
likely to drink it. It’s as simple as that.
Try flavoring your water:
Try adding fresh mint, slices of cucumber,
lime, or even ginger to your water. Also, try naturally flavored calorie-free
seltzers (La Croix is my favorite) .Their fizz and fruit flavor makes them more appealing than plain,
flat water
Try Tea:
Reach for unsweetened tea bags, which are
available in lots of different flavors. Sip fruity iced teas during the day, or
cozy up with a mug of hot peppermint or chamomile tea at night — they all count
towards your daily fluid goal.
Fruit the good Fight:
Fruits are an excellent source of water,
particularly watermelon, which is made of up to 90% water. Oranges and
grapefruit also play a helpful role in hydrating your body. Veggies like
celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, and romaine lettuce are very
hydrating.
Sip more during meals:
This will help you eat more slowly, pace
your eating, and stay hydrated.
Opt for room temperature water.
When it comes to fluids, steer clear of
extreme temperatures. When ice water comes into the stomach it constricts the
arteries surrounding the stomach, prohibiting the uptake of fluids until the
water reaches a more usable temperature.
