The term Mayday was used circa 1920 as a distress signal in radio communications for aircraft and ships, when in imminent danger. I decided to write this post as a distress signal for anyone who reads it, but specifically the elderly. At the time of this writing, my father is 87 years old and will be 88 on January 6. He is currently in an assisted living facility, due to some unforeseen circumstances. He has experienced multiple bouts with dehydration in his 80’s and a couple of times in his 70’s. Each occasion has landed him in the hospital. Due to the aforementioned scenarios, it has prompted me to do some research into this condition called ‘dehydration’.
I work in customer service and I see many elderly people that show symptoms of dehydration or under-hydration. My heart goes out to them, because I know from the experiences with my father the difficulties that they will potentially face. Under-hydration or dehydration in humans is similar to a plant with drooping leaves. As soon as the plant receives the proper amount of water, it perks up and returns to normal. The loss of water effects people in a similar way, but with a greater potential for more harmful consequences, if not urgently addressed. Hence, the need for a ‘Mayday’ signal!
All living organisms need water to function, thrive and to survive. We are no different. All organs in the human body need water to function properly. When there is a low supply, the blood will necessarily take water from other organs to ensure that the vital organs continue to function. I have personally experienced a dehydration headache. Shortly after I replenish the water supply that is needed, my headache dissipates. When I think about the mechanism that the body has for sustaining life, it is pretty astonishing! We just have to be mindful of it’s inner workings, in order to take advantage of it.
I recently read a book by F. Batmanghelidj, MD called, Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, ‘You Are Not Sick You Are Thirsty’. It was an interesting and eye opening read. It explains, in great detail “a new discovery that lack of water in the body- chronic dehydration- is the root cause of many painful degenerative diseases, asthma, allergies, hypertension, excess body weight, and some emotional problems including depression.” In my opinion, the book is very intriguing and thought provoking. Reading it shed a lot of light on what may have contributed to my dad’s current health and his current circumstance. It left me to ponder what we could have done differently to help him avoid bouts with dehydration, before it took a toll on his wellbeing? As the saying goes, “hindsight is 20/20.” Could the information in this book be the answer to so many chronic conditions? It is definitely worth a deeper dive into the topic.
Meanwhile, I will stick with my distress signal, “Mayday, Mayday!“
Eat, drink, be…
M.M.
The information that has been provided in this post is not intended to be medical advice, but is for informational purposes only.
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