Hydration, hydration, hydration... you cannot have enough water, you simply can't. As long as nutrients and sodium levels in your system stay at a healthy and relative level to the water you ingest and get rid of through diaphoresis (sweating) and urination, this holds true; however, if you ever allow a dip in sodium or nutrients and you let the H2o follow suit and become dehydrated you may come to experience Hypernatremia.
Hypernatremia: breaking down the words inside the word "hyper" over or "above" or "too much" as those who are hypertensive have "high" blood pressure. Natrium (Sodium.) Put the two together in one word and we have the meaning "too much sodium." Hypernatremia. When you fall victim to dehydration you also, through urine, sweat, and salavitory excretion lose some sodium with your water. But, mostly you lose water and leave sodium intact in your system. Which results in too high a level of sodium. In it's least dangerous presentation it can present dangerously like dehydration, muscle cramps and everything which you would associate with dehydration.
Mild to Severe Hypernatremia and it's symptoms result from brain dysfunction which can lead to confusion, seizures, as well as muscle twitching and further on to coma and death if there is no clear fluid intervention. Most importantly, if you think you are suffering from Hypernatremia you should slowly rehydrate yourself. Don't just overload your system with water and expect everything to simply be okay all over again. You could risk permanent brain damage if you rehydrate too rapidly.
A tip and a simple thing to keep in mind which got me through six years of service in the Army, three of them in the Infantry walking everywhere i went and two of them in Iraq, one of the hottest places I can imagine exists: if you are thirsty it is too late. You have lost a slow battle of dehydration. I myself carry or find water everywhere I go. I am one of the people who is probably made fun of for carrying a water bottle everywhere. I do not waste money and buy bottled water everywhere. I simply refill the water bottle when it is empty- tap water will do. And using our rule of moderation you should simply sip your way to never ending proper hydration. Just in case, we learn the meanings and symptoms of words like Hypernatremia...
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