What’s up with the whole, “make sure to drink plenty of fluids” when you have a cold or the flu? To avoid dehydration?
When you get a cold or flu you get a fever. This raises body temperature, promoting heat loss through sweating. Sweating promotes dehydration. To stop this cycle you drink stuff.
that and vomiting and especially diahrreah (sp?) can REALLY dehydrate you. Plus, the fluids ain’t gonna hurt.
Effective dehydration is common in acute viral and bacterial illness due to decreased intake (general lethargy and dimunition of perceived thirst), increased insensible losses (due to elevated body temperature, flushing, increased secretions, shallow rapid breathing, etc.) and redistribution of fluids in the body.
There are also various reasons why a greater demand might be placed on the body’s fluids during many illnessed. Many small effects can become significant together. Combined with the effects of the disease itself (e.g. rapid shallow pulse, bacterial toxins in the blood, , this may increase the chances of shock and other complications. If nothing else, “running on empty” certainly can make you feel worse
Also, it is a very good idea to drink ample fluids when taking acetominophen (Tylenol) and/or NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.). Not only will this help flush toxins and breakdown products out of the body, but these drugs can have rare but serious effects on the kidneys in ca 1 case in 100,000. In fact, it is a good idea to avoid mixing over the counter anti-inflammatory and antipyretic (anti-fever) drugs. Some people feel it is safe to take the “recommended dose” of a medicine chest full of over-the-counter drugs, but in fact, each may affect renal blood flow independently. It been well shown that kidney complications increase with each additional drug.
Similar drug effects can occur (less commonly) with other organs and systems - but don’t freak out, m’kay?
In general, most healthy Americans don’t drink enough, and illness only makes the matter worse (and its effects more perceptible). A healthy person highly unlikely to choke down enough water to cause any ill-effects and can only benefit (but some medical conditions can be exacerbated by too much fluids. I’d a-hope that you’d already know if you had any of these conditions, but I ain’t yer sawbones, and I ain’t a-lookin’ to be, neither)
Other unwanted stuff in the system in need of flushing (in addition to the bacterial toxins and medicine breakdown products that KP mentions) include products of the breakdown of infected cells - bits of dead ‘you’.