Introduction
When I told my
nephew, Mike, that I found that sneezing is an indication
that I need to drink water, he asked me how I arrived at
this theory. Before he challenged me, I hadn’t really
given the question much thought. I’ve simply understood
for years that there’s a connection. In the end, most of
my 3-page, 1260 word article, turned out to be context and
commentary – and seems short enough to include in an
email. I’ve also squeezed in two additional tips which
have also helped me understand when I need to drink more
water.
***
October 2015 by Ronald Bleier
How do I know if I’m drinking enough water?
From time to time media reports feature “experts” asserting that
we need to drink only when we’re thirsty, and also, not to
worry, we get plenty of water from the foods we eat.
A similar view seemed to be
the point of a couple of
New
York Times articles in the summer of 2015. In the
first the
Times pushed back
against the familiar 8 glasses of water a day prescription.
(“No, You should not have to drink 8 glasses of water a day,”
8.24.15) In the
second
the
Times went so far as to dig out
reports of two college football players who died after drinking
4 GALLONS
of water,
presumably in the course of a practice session. (“For Athletes,
the risk of too much water,” 8.26.15)
In my experience I’ve found that the counsel
to “drink when you’re thirsty” is far from satisfactory. Eventually I came to the
conclusion that much of the time I was probably walking around
inadequately hydrated. I’ve learned that drinking enough water
takes focus and continual diligence.
Nature makes a compromise
It seems reasonable to reflect that humans
have evolved, along with other mammals, so as to be able to
survive for long periods while moderately (or even mostly)
dehydrated. I suspect that the compromise that nature makes with
survival lands us with a thirst function that is not optimal for
modern life. If this is
true, then even though we can operate “normally,” without
sufficient water for long periods, the resulting lack of
sufficient hydration can have cumulative ill effects
In my case, I suspect, insufficient water
intake has, from time to time, lowered my resistance and helped
bring on colds or even the flu when illness might have been
prevented by timely water intake. I also suspect that for some
people, lack of adequate hydration could result in even more
severe symptoms like gout or kidney stones and who knows what
else.
A
recent NYT article
(“For Older Adults, Questioning a Diagnosis of Chronic Kidney
Disease, 9.15.15)
reported research findings that half the
population over 70 may suffer from chronic kidney disease. I
wondered if persistent under-hydration could be a factor. (Later
I found in a NYT
article from 2011 that supported this guess. See below.)
The good news?
Fortunately, over the years, I’ve discovered
some tips which help indicate when I need to drink more. The first, the cue the body
receives from sneezing, seems the least well known. I once took
the opportunity to mention my theory to a doctor, an experienced
internist. He said he had never heard of it, but he seemed
interested and he didn’t immediately reject it.
Drinking
Water prevents sneezing!?
I’ve found that sneezing is an indicator that
I need to drink water. Trying to reconstruct how I figured this
out, I suppose that by trial and error I found that when I felt
a sneeze coming on, I could prevent it by a timely drink of
water. Perhaps what
prompted these initial trials, was that after a sneeze, when I
drank some water I felt a sense of relief which suggested there
might be a connection.
The theory
My working theory is that when sensors in the
body’s nasal and sinus passages detect inadequate hydration, a
sneeze is provoked. In my case, I’ve found even subtle changes
of temperature, like moving from one room to another where the
temperature might be lower or higher, are sometimes enough to
stimulate these sensors. Unsurprisingly
my
sneeze sensors are more dramatically stimulated by the changes
of temperature and humidity when I enter a steam room or sauna.
Sensors may provide limited warning
Nor is keeping up with my body’s water
requirement always a routine matter. All too often I’ll be
caught up in whatever I happen to be doing, and the sneeze will
catch me before I can get to water. After a sneeze I try to make
a point of drinking water. I’ve found that the sneeze - sensor
function does not continue indefinitely. If I don’t promptly
rehydrate, typically I won’t be warned in the same way again. I suppose we’ve all noticed
instances where someone sneezes half a dozen times or more in a
row. Multiple sneeze
episodes may very well be the body’s last dramatic notice that
water is required. Afterwards,
without prompt re-hydration, the body presumably retreats into
water deficit mode. Long periods in this mode may lead to both
short and long term health consequences.
As for the 8 glasses of water a day rule,
I’ve never found it useful. I
don’t count the number of glasses I drink. What I try to do is
pay more attention to my body’s hydrological needs. It’s not so
easy, but I’ve got my sneeze function and two other tips (see
below) to help me out.
Winter sniffles.
I
usually make use of a handkerchief or two when I go abroad in
cold weather. I finally figured out that I wouldn’t need to
clear my nose so often – or at all – if I were adequately
hydrated. Not so easy to do in cold weather as in warm. Thinking along these
lines also made me wonder about what happens when we’re sick
in bed with a cold. To what should we put down our sneezes in
these circumstances? By this time readers can imagine my
conclusions.
Drinking water with Meals
Years ago I happened to read that WWII
concentration camp inmates learned from experience that
digestion was facilitated by drinking water before eating. This prescription has worked
very well for me whenever I can so remind myself. I’ve also learned to drink
water during and after eating as well.
I’ve also found that after overeating, the
best medicine is water. A
sign that I’ve overindulged is the discomfort I feel when I try
drinking water after a bout of gluttony. I soon find that it
actually gets too uncomfortable to drink more than a relatively
small amount. Then I
need to wait awhile before I drink more to allow my system to go
through its processes. Such
thoughts reminded me of those football players forcing down
gallon after gallon until they dropped. They might have been
taught that they merely had to wait till the discomfort passed
before continuing their water intake. Perhaps it was their
sports mindset that encouraged them to persevere despite their
pain. It would seem a
good idea, with drinking water, as with all things, to keep in
mind the golden rule of moderation.
And what about the
New York Times?
Does the
Times contradict
itself?
An internet
search yielded
a
NYT article from
2011 that seems to
support my experience (“Really? The Claim: Drink Eight Glasses
of Water a Day to Protect the Kidneys,” 11.7.2011).
Researchers found that a
moderate intake of extra water, above two liters a day, helps
the kidneys clear the body of toxins and reduces long term
kidney problems. The brief article concludes:
“A moderately increased
intake of fluids may protect the kidneys.”
Two more tips
More people seem to know about the next two
tips, about which I have little to say other than they’ve been
useful.
The
color of urine
Over time I came to realize that if I were
adequately hydrated the color of my urine would NOT be yellow.
If I’m drinking enough water my urine will be clear.
Chapped
lips
I’ve found that chapped lips are one of the
body’s indicators of dehydration. It took me years to make this
connection which became obvious once I recognized it. I can’t recall the last
time I used lip balm.
The
End
