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Stay hydrated for healthy circulation

Did you know that around 70 per cent of your body is made up of water? That’s why it’s so important we drink enough of it.

Staying well hydrated is essential for good health and plays a particularly important role in our circulatory system.

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Why is good hydration essential for healthy circulation? 

There’s good reason water is described as the source of life - every cell in our bodies needs it to work efficiently, and proper hydration is essential for a healthy heart and circulation.

Your heart is constantly working - it beats an average 72 times each minute and pumps almost 8,000 litres of blood every day. Staying well hydrated helps your heart do its job more easily.

Dehydration happens when you lose more fluids than your body takes in.

As blood is around 90% water, the loss of fluid through dehydration makes it thicker and blood volume decreases. The heart beats faster to compensate and works harder to push blood around the body. All this puts a strain on the heart.

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How else does dehydration affect my health? 

Severe dehydration can be life-threatening, but research shows that being even a little dehydrated can affect wellbeing.

As well as placing a strain on the heart, dehydration can impact on your blood pressure, causing it to both plunge and skyrocket. Decreased volumes of blood can initially result in low blood pressure, simply because there’s less blood in the vessels.

But dehydration also causes sodium levels in the blood to rise, and your body responds by releasing a hormone called vasopressin, to help your body retain more water. Vasopressin causes blood vessels to constrict, which can cause your blood pressure to spike.

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Signs of dehydration

Our thirst mechanism lags behind hydration levels, so by the time you experience the early signs, the chances are you’re already dehydrated. Early signs of dehydration include:

  • Feeling thirsty
  • Dark yellow urine
  • Urinating less often than usual
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • Tiredness
  • Dry mouth, lips and tongue
  • Headache

Dehydration can happen more easily if you have diabetes, have been ill or take medicines that make you urinate more (diuretics).

How do I stay hydrated?

The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends that adults drink six to eight glasses (or 1.5 to 2 litres) of fluid every day, and more in hot weather or when you’re exercising. Here are a few ideas to make it easier to stay hydrated:

  • Rehydration drinks
    It’s best to avoid dehydration through your day-to-day fluid intake. But if you feel that your body has lost too much fluid - perhaps after suffering an illness or during a heatwave - you may need to replace the sugar, salts and minerals your body has lost. A pharmacist can recommend rehydration drinks that will help with this.
    Image of a glass of water, a sachet of powder and a teaspoon
  • Liven up your water
    Drinking more water is the obvious way to stay well hydrated, but it can be unappealing. Give plain water a flavour boost by adding a herb or fruit infusion. Cucumber, lemon, lime, orange, basil and mint are good choices. There are lots of fruit infuser water bottles on the market for when you’re on-the-go.
    Image of to glasses of water with lemon, lime and cucumber in them
  • Choose alternatives
    Water isn’t the only drink in town - some studies suggest that milk provides just as much hydration. Regular cups of tea and coffee also go a long way to help you reach your hydration target, and de-caffeinated options are best as caffeine acts as a diuretic. Green and herbal teas, and coconut water are also great choices. But beware of drinks that contain lots of sugar as they can be damaging to your health in other ways.
    image of a woman sat with a blanket and a mug of tea
  • Eat your hydration
    Drinking isn’t the only way to take on fluids - some foods are also great for boosting hydration. Foods with a high water content include cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, honeydew melon, watermelon, apples, oranges and blueberries.
    Image of a platter of fruit including kiwi, oranges, strawberries and blueberries
  • Drink less alcohol
    Any alcoholic drink over 10 per cent alcohol content is a dehydrator, which means that more fluid will leave your system than be absorbed by drinking it. A rule of thumb is that the stronger the alcohol, the more dehydrating it will be.
    Image of a glass and a bottle of wine, with someone putting their hand over the glass
  • Rehydration drinks
    It’s best to avoid dehydration through your day-to-day fluid intake. But if you feel that your body has lost too much fluid - perhaps after suffering an illness or during a heatwave - you may need to replace the sugar, salts and minerals your body has lost. A pharmacist can recommend rehydration drinks that will help with this.
    Image of a glass of water, a sachet of powder and a teaspoon
  • Rehydration drinks
    It’s best to avoid dehydration through your day-to-day fluid intake. But if you feel that your body has lost too much fluid - perhaps after suffering an illness or during a heatwave - you may need to replace the sugar, salts and minerals your body has lost. A pharmacist can recommend rehydration drinks that will help with this.
    Image of a glass of water, a sachet of powder and a teaspoon
  • Liven up your water
    Drinking more water is the obvious way to stay well hydrated, but it can be unappealing. Give plain water a flavour boost by adding a herb or fruit infusion. Cucumber, lemon, lime, orange, basil and mint are good choices. There are lots of fruit infuser water bottles on the market for when you’re on-the-go.
    Image of to glasses of water with lemon, lime and cucumber in them
  • Choose alternatives
    Water isn’t the only drink in town - some studies suggest that milk provides just as much hydration. Regular cups of tea and coffee also go a long way to help you reach your hydration target, and de-caffeinated options are best as caffeine acts as a diuretic. Green and herbal teas, and coconut water are also great choices. But beware of drinks that contain lots of sugar as they can be damaging to your health in other ways.
    image of a woman sat with a blanket and a mug of tea
  • Eat your hydration
    Drinking isn’t the only way to take on fluids - some foods are also great for boosting hydration. Foods with a high water content include cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, honeydew melon, watermelon, apples, oranges and blueberries.
    Image of a platter of fruit including kiwi, oranges, strawberries and blueberries
  • Drink less alcohol
    Any alcoholic drink over 10 per cent alcohol content is a dehydrator, which means that more fluid will leave your system than be absorbed by drinking it. A rule of thumb is that the stronger the alcohol, the more dehydrating it will be.
    Image of a glass and a bottle of wine, with someone putting their hand over the glass
  • Rehydration drinks
    It’s best to avoid dehydration through your day-to-day fluid intake. But if you feel that your body has lost too much fluid - perhaps after suffering an illness or during a heatwave - you may need to replace the sugar, salts and minerals your body has lost. A pharmacist can recommend rehydration drinks that will help with this.
    Image of a glass of water, a sachet of powder and a teaspoon

How can Revitive help? 

Revitive Circulation Booster® is a range of medical devices clinically proven to increase blood flow in the legs and feet during use. Revitive’s Medic Coach includes Smart Therapy technology and one of its key features is hydration sensors, which let you know whenever your skin hydration levels are low. 

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