THE DEHYDRATION BLUES

schlomo · ‎10-01-2023

The Dehydration Blues

My wife’s recent debilitating bout of dehydration reminds me of a harrowing experience I once had at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. During one very humid scorching summer afternoon, I spent nearly six hours chopping down dead limbs in my steep overgrown front yard, hoisting the remains into trash bins, and then lugging the detritus to a dumping spot far down the street. I took a few breaks in which I drank what I considered to be a sufficient amount of flavored water.

Pruning the foliage by itself was plenty of exercise for the day; but when I was done with my handiwork, I decided to work out at the deserted gym as twilight approached. Big mistake! Within a couple of minutes, I felt excruciating pain in my chest. Immediately, I stopped the treadmill and waited for the severe tightness in my chest to subside. Even though the pain persisted and I was scared that I was going to die, instead of calling 911, I ever-so-slowly trekked back to my house. As I did so, my discomfit eased a bit. When I got home, I gingerly sat on the couch, hoping that I could get some help from my wife, who would soon return from running errands. Eventually, the chest pain relented and then stopped altogether before my wife arrived.

At first, I figured that my chronic acid reflux was the culprit. Or perhaps my distress was a prelude to an imminent heart attack. Only after I searched reliable websites did I learn that dehydration too can cause chest pains that mimic not just acid reflux but a heart attack as well. While clearing out the yard, I should have taken more time-outs and guzzled more liquids. Those precautions would have protected me from getting traumatized at the fitness center. Duh! After drinking a gallon of water, I completely recovered.

Ten years later, similar chest pains led to arterial blockage that required three stents. Although poor hydration wasn’t a factor then, getting an appropriate amount of liquids is nonetheless essential to enhance the quality of our daily lives.

schlomo

KellytheBelly · ‎10-01-2023

Thank you for sharing. Dehydration is definitely something to consider as we get older. 🙂

@schlomo wrote:
The Dehydration Blues
My wife’s recent debilitating bout of dehydration reminds me of a harrowing experience I once had at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. During one very humid scorching summer afternoon, I spent nearly six hours chopping down dead limbs in my steep overgrown front yard, hoisting the remains into trash bins, and then lugging the detritus to a dumping spot far down the street. I took a few breaks in which I drank what I considered to be a sufficient amount of flavored water.
Pruning the foliage by itself was plenty of exercise for the day; but when I was done with my handiwork, I decided to work out at the deserted gym as twilight approached. Big mistake! Within a couple of minutes, I felt excruciating pain in my chest. Immediately, I stopped the treadmill and waited for the severe tightness in my chest to subside. Even though the pain persisted and I was scared that I was going to die, instead of calling 911, I ever-so-slowly trekked back to my house. As I did so, my discomfit eased a bit. When I got home, I gingerly sat on the couch, hoping that I could get some help from my wife, who would soon return from running errands. Eventually, the chest pain relented and then stopped altogether before my wife arrived.
At first, I figured that my chronic acid reflux was the culprit. Or perhaps my distress was a prelude to an imminent heart attack. Only after I searched reliable websites did I learn that dehydration too can cause chest pains that mimic not just acid reflux but a heart attack as well. While clearing out the yard, I should have taken more time-outs and guzzled more liquids. Those precautions would have protected me from getting traumatized at the fitness center. Duh! After drinking a gallon of water, I completely recovered.
Ten years later, similar chest pains led to arterial blockage that required three stents. Although poor hydration wasn’t a factor then, getting an appropriate amount of liquids is nonetheless essential to enhance the quality of our daily lives.