News

The Effects Of Dehydration On The Body

The Effects of Dehydration on the BodyWe all know that water is good for us, but the effects of dehydration are actually much more serious than many people realise. Ensuring you’re sufficiently hydrated is a critical aspect of managing your health, cognition and overall wellness. After all, our bodies are made up of 60% water! Like it or not, we’re basically cucumbers with complicated feelings and jobs. What is dehydration?Before we get into the nitty gritty, let's first find out what dehydration actually means. It’s a word that gets thrown around quite a lot, but dehydration refers specifically to the result of excessive water loss - often defined as a loss of more than 2% of your bodily fluids. Loss of fluids is a completely normal element of natural bodily function and occurs every day through sweating, peeing and more, but it’s when those lost fluids aren’t replaced that issues can arise. When your body is dehydrated, it doesn’t have enough water to carry out its normal functions, meaning it can struggle to operate as usual, resulting in the side effects that are commonly associated with dehydration. Now that you know what dehydration actually means, grab yourself a cold one (water, that is) and take a look at all of the weird and (not so) wonderful things your body gets up to when it doesn’t have enough of the cool, blue stuff. How does dehydration occur and who is most at risk?The leading causes of dehydration are excessive sweating, some medications (such as diuretics or antihistamines), stomach bugs that cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and simply not drinking enough fluids throughout the day. We really should be drinking around eight glasses of fluid a day - and no-added-sugar squash, tea and coffee (without sugar!) and low fat milk all count towards your daily intake. So there’s really no excuse!Those most at risk of dehydration include people reliant on others for their fluid intake (such as children and the elderly), people with physical disabilities or chronic illnesses (such as diabetes, kidney diseases and Alzheimer’s) and anyone who exercises vigorously in hot conditions. What does dehydration do to the body? Dehydration affects our body, our mind and even our good looks! It can cause muscle cramps, excess sugar cravings (which can lead to weight gain), brain fog, dull skin, low blood pressure, sunken eyes - the list goes on!How, exactly? Well, since our body is made up of around 60% water, it understandably plays a central role in regulating all sorts of bodily functions including protecting organs, flushing out waste and toxins, and carrying nutrients and oxygen around the body. When our hydration levels drop and we become dehydrated, your body has limited resources to perform these regular functions, which can lead to depleted levels of sodium and electrolytes and, in turn, physical and cognitive issues. Symptoms of dehydrationThe effects of dehydration on the body can lead directly to adverse symptoms, but these often present differently depending on a range of factors including your age, general health, and how dehydrated you are. Be on the lookout for any of the following symptoms in yourself or a person in your care:In adultsExtreme thirstLess frequent urinationDark-colored urineFatigueDizzinessConfusionIn childrenDry mouth and tongueCrying without tearsNo wet nappies over three hoursSunken eyes and cheeksSunken soft spotLack of energy or irritability Potential serious consequences The symptoms of dehydration are our warning sign that something isn’t right but, left untreated, dehydration can have more serious consequences. Ongoing unaddressed dehydration can result in a range of serious health problems including:Urinary tract infections (UTIs)Kidney infectionsSeizures and muscle contractionsLoss of consciousnessHeat exhaustionThat’s why it’s so important to act on the early symptoms of dehydration when they present – if you don’t rehydrate relatively quickly, you run the risk of much more serious complications. How to prevent dehydrationDehydration can affect the body quickly, so the best approach to tackling it is to work towards preventing it occurring in the first place. Knowing how to prevent dehydration is particularly important in the hotter months of the year, when hydration levels can drop more rapidly. You can easily prevent dehydration by ensuring you practice regular hydration - especially in hot weather or after exercise. Aim to drink around eight glasses (or two litres) of fluid per day and ensure that you pay extra attention to rehydrating after sweating or suffering with vomiting and/or diarrhoea. If you experience any mild symptoms of dehydration, rehydration should be enough to relieve them. However, if you suspect that you or somebody in your care is suffering from the effects of extreme dehydration then contact a medical professional immediately. Now you know the dangers of dehydration, what are you waiting for? Pour yourself a nice cool glass of water and get your water intake to where it should be.

Reasons To Go Self-Employed

Picture this: it’s 5.45am, your alarm goes off and you shuffle into the bathroom. You fumble for the light switch, and as you rub your stinging eyes you can’t help but notice through the frosted glass that it’s still dark outside. You get ready in a daze; tea and toast, a toothpaste stain on your tie and sips of watery coffee from a travel mug as you wait for your windscreen to defrost. It’s just another Thursday. As you dawdle into work a familiar thought enters your mind - “Maybe I should go self-employed?” You quickly dismiss it. After all, being self-employed isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and it would be far too difficult to organise and keep on top of. Right?At My Health Assistant we know that your time as a healthcare professional is invaluable, so we’re committed to shouldering as much of the heavy lifting as possible - enabling you to focus your time and energy where it really matters.Our app is an all-in-one marketing tool and virtual office. Patients can find and connect with you directly through our search engine, and our app can manage your diary, take online bookings for day(s) or hours(s) you want, even raise invoices and take payments so you don’t have to. We’ll make sure you have the correct professional insurance and even handle your annual tax-returns through our partner companies, as well as offering legal support and additional PA services. Still not convinced? Here are a few of the most compelling benefits of being self-employed that might help you to make your mind up. 1. Better work-life balanceThe days of wearing burn-out like a badge of honour are over. The importance of a healthy work-life balance is becoming increasingly more apparent, and as a self-employed worker you are in complete control of your working hours. A poor work-life balance can lead to increased stress, reduced productivity and an inability to focus on the task at hand. Long days can also lead to damaged relationships, as important events and time with loved ones fall further down the list of priorities.Complete flexibility and freedom in your working week allows you to prioritise your time and create a schedule on your own terms. You can plan your appointments around prior commitments, and adapt your working hours depending on how you feel and what you need.Being self-employed allows you to do the job you love, whilst also ensuring you never lose focus of what matters most to you. 2. More control over your incomeAnother benefit of being self-employed is the ability to set your own hours which, in turn, gives you complete control over your income and allows you to plan ahead with ease.Not only can you set your own rate of pay as a self-employed professional, but you are 100% in control of your timetable and schedule. In other words, you can work and earn as much (or as little) as you wish!You don’t have to work full-time hours either – you can simply top-up your current salary by working one day or evening a week, become completely self-employed or do anything in between!Working as a professional with My Health Assistant enables you to access all of the benefits and the convenience of being self-employed without worrying about any of the formalities. We handle everything else for you, allowing you to spend more quality time with your patients. 3. Your career, your wayOne of the biggest advantages of being self-employed is the ability to direct your own career progression. When you are your own boss you have complete control over your own path. You aren’t bound by the job roles available to you in your place of work, and are able to advance and grow at your own pace. The direction of your career can be moulded to suit your life and current circumstances perfectly, and My Health Assistant can support you in taking the steps necessary to reach your goals. 4. Increased autonomyWhen you work as an employee for an existing business, you have to fit into their ways of working and typically don’t get the chance to make meaningful choices of your own. As a self-employed professional, on the other hand, you benefit from near-complete autonomy and who you work with.That freedom can give you new-found job satisfaction as you see the direct impact of your choices and can make of your business exactly what you want. But aside from that, it can also offer more immediately tangible benefits including the ability to choose where your office is (or if you even have one!), who you hire, and how you operate. 5. Variety where you want itWork days as an employee are generally predictable, even in the healthcare sector. Everyone has their own role within a multi-disciplinary team and you’ll typically know exactly what you’ll be doing every day that you turn up to work. Some people like things that way, but for everyone else, self-employment provides the opportunity to inject some variety into your work-life. As a business owner, you can choose what roles to take responsibility for yourself and which to delegate to employees, agencies, or software solutions. If you’ve always wanted to give marketing a go, self-employment allows you to spread your wings. Got a penchant for bookkeeping? You can be your own accountant. And solutions like My Health Assistant can help you to unload the burdens you don’t want, with tools including marketing, calendar management, invoicing, and PA services all available in one handy platform. Should I go self-employed?At the end of the day, the most important factor in deciding whether self-employment is the right choice for you is your own preference. But, if you want more control over your work-life balance, ways of working, and earning potential, becoming a self-employed professional is one of the best ways to achieve it. Ready to make the leap? You don’t have to go it alone. If you’re interested in pursuing a new self-employed life in the healthcare sector, whether you want to work for yourself part-time or set up your own practice with staff, we can guide you along the way. Read more about the support we can offer you as a professional, or get in touch with us directly to ask any further questions you have. Your profession, your journey, your choice.Let us take care of you.

Page:

The Effects Of Dehydration On The Body

Reasons To Go Self-Employed

Are you already self-employed and looking to connect with more patients?