Smart Hydration for Urinary Health: Understanding Electrolytes

Have you gotten your share of bicarbonate today? How about chloride, and phosphates?

These minerals are among the seven key electrolytes your whole body, including your urinary system, depends on to be healthy. The other four might be more familiar: sodium (salt), potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

If something upsets the balance of these electrolytes, meaning you have too few or too many of one or another, it can contribute to a number of health issues involving your kidneys, bladder, and urinary tract. This is due to the important role of electrolytes: They nourish your cells and remove waste from them, support nerve function, and steady your heart rate, among other tasks.

They need water to do that.

Electrolytes and Hydration Go Hand in Hand

The key cause of electrolyte imbalance is dehydration, either through excessive sweating, not drinking enough water, gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea, and vomiting. 

Occasional dehydration is easily managed, but chronic dehydration – which researchers say affects as many as 28% of Americans – may require medical intervention. The fluids you take help your cells convert food into energy, support growth, and generally maintain a healthy life. Fluids also enable your urinary system to flush out waste and toxins. 

When you’re dehydrated, your metabolism slows, bacteria in the gut microbiome multiply, and the organs in your urology system could suffer. 

4 Urology Illnesses Linked to Dehydration

The amount of water you need can vary based on several factors such as your body type, your activity, your age, and where you live (climate and elevation). If you consistently fail to get enough fluids, the following conditions can occur. 

Dreaded kidney stones – Kidneys stones are small, hard crystals formed by a high concentration of minerals such as salts, calcium, and uric acid. When you are dehydrated, the kidneys lack enough fluid to flush them out, as well as to balance electrolytes, and the minerals accumulate and bind. Kidney stone symptoms include sharp pain in the back and side, blood in the urine, and frequent, urgent urination. Click here to learn more about kidney stones and treatments.

Serious kidney diseases – When you are dehydrated, your kidneys respond by retaining the fluids they extract from your blood. This means the waste from your blood, which your kidneys typically flush out, is able to build up. Further, when you are severely dehydrated, blood and nutrients have trouble making it to the kidneys. Note: Those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may need to limit water and regulate potassium, because the body won’t make urine in this state and the kidneys are less able to remove excess potassium. Symptoms of CKD include fatigue, dry skin, making less urine, blood in the urine, and swollen hands, feet, and ankles. Read about healthy eating and drinking for your kidneys in our blog.

Burning urinary tract infection (UTI) – Because kidneys produce less urine when you are dehydrated, damaging bacteria such as E. coli are able to linger and grow through to your bladder. Additionally, that highly concentrated urine can irritate and weaken your urinary tract. Water also improves the effectiveness of antibiotics to fight a UTI. While common among women, UTIs can be more serious as women age. Symptoms include painful or burning urination, producing little urine despite an urge to go, and cloudy urine. You can read more about UTIs here.

Painful bladder inflammation – Once again, when your body makes less urine due to dehydration, high balance of toxins and minerals remain. These substances can irritate and inflame your bladder’s lining. Patients who live withinterstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome, should stay hydrated in order to manage the symptoms, such as pelvic and bladder pain (including during intercourse), bladder pressure, and a frequent urge to urinate. Hydration manages IC symptoms because it dilutes urine. Learn more about interstitial cystitis causes here.

You should consult a urology specialist if you recognize any of these symptoms.

Tell-Tale Dehydration Symptoms

Common signs of dehydration, following thirst, include: 

• Dark urine (healthy urine will be pale yellow to golden)
• Less frequent urination than usual
• Lightheadedness and headaches
• Fatigue
• Sunken eyes and/or cheeks
• Dry skin; skin that doesn’t flatten after you pinch it
• Muscle cramps

Hydration Helper: High- and Low-Electrolyte Foods and Drinks

Water is the easiest and most accessible solution to dehydration. The U.S. Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommends 11.5 cups (for women) to 15.5 cups (for men) a day. 

However, if you need the quick-hydrating boost of an electrolyte-packed food or drink, consider these natural options that are high in potassium:

• Fruits – Easy-to-find options include kiwi, avocado, bananas, apricots, and oranges
• Vegetables – Beets (and their greens), carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and baked potato
• Proteins – Beans, shellfish, fish (especially skipjack tuna, shad, and rainbow trout)
• Drinks – Tomato juice, orange juice, reduced-fat milk (including plant milks), and unsweetened coconut water

You can make your own electrolyte concoctions by blending some of the above.

Again, if you suffer from chronic kidney disease or failure, be aware that you need to moderate your potassium. Talk to your doctor about recommended dietary changes and the risk of developing hyperkalemia, a medical condition caused by kidney disease in which too much potassium builds in your blood.

Stay Hydrated But Drink the Right Electrolytes

The electrolyte products market is booming, with electrolyte drinks alone generating nearly $2 billion. Many of these products, such as LMNT and Gatorade Endurance, are designed to replace or replenish electrolytes due to heavy activity and sweating. Others, including Ultima and Ucan, are made for everyday use and light activity.

Not everyone requires electrolyte drinks to remain hydrated, however. If you sweat a lot, live at high altitudes, or generally do not drink enough water, electrolyte drinks will restore what you lost through dehydration. (Hint: Muscle twitching and muscle cramps signal a need for electrolytes.) Effective electrolyte drinks include sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride. 

In a pinch, you can mix water with pretzels or another salty snack. 

Other tips for good hydration:

1. Dilute your drinks. Alcohol speeds up urine flow and interferes with the kidneys’ ability to balance electrolytes. Alternate cocktails with water and do not drink on an empty stomach; it can hasten dehydration.
2. Check your medications. Several drugs can cause dehydration, including blood pressure medicines (beta blockers), antipsychotics, diuretics, and anticholinergics (for asthma, COPD, overactive bladder, and IBS).
3. Drink more each year. Four out of 10 people older than 65 have chronic dehydration, UCLA Health reports. This is due to several aging factors such as declining kidney functions, decreased muscle mass, and simple lack of thirst. 

Lastly, remember that dehydration is a year-round concern. Even in the winter, your electrolytes can become imbalanced. Restore them with the right fluids.

We’re here to talk to you about improving your urinary health. If you experience any of the conditions detailed in this blog, click here to request an appointment.