Does Drinking Water Lower Blood Pressure
Jason DelCollo, DO, is board-certified in family medicine and on the faculty of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
High blood pressure affects 1 in 3 adults in the United States.
When a person has high blood pressure, the blood flow through the arteries is higher than normal.
There are ways to prevent and treat high blood pressure. It starts with your lifestyle. Exercising regularly will keep your heart healthy and stress levels low. In addition, mindfulness activities such as meditation, yoga, and journaling can help reduce stress.
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Maintaining a nutrient-rich diet will also help. Reduce your consumption of processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and fried foods. Also, it’s best to avoid tobacco if you smoke.
Along with a healthy diet, drinking water and staying properly hydrated can also help maintain healthy blood pressure.
This article will discuss the connection between hydration and heart health and explain the recommended water intake.
Drink The Right Amount Of Fluids
When your heart failure is not very bad, your health care provider may not place you on a fluid restriction. As your heart failure becomes worse, your health care provider may limit your fluids to 6-9 cups a day. Having other conditions like kidney disease may factor into their decision, too. If you are not sure how much you should drink per day, ask your health care provider.
Most of your hydration should come from water .
Other examples of fluids are:
- Sparkling water
How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day
It seems like an easy question, but there isnt a simple answer.
Several factors have a bearing on this, such as your body composition, your metabolism, diet, climate you live and work in, and even your clothing. We cant survive very long without water, and even mild dehydration can lead to fatigue, headache and a bad mood.
While all fluids can count towards your daily total , experts suggest drinking plenty of water and limiting beverages with added sugars and alcohol.
The recommended intake of fluid is between 2.1 to 2.6 litres for adults and between 1 to 1.6 litres for children every day. The recommended total intake per day, which includes fluid from food, is between 2.8 and 3.4 litres for adults and 1.4 to 2.2 litres for children. 1
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What Are The Future Health Complications
A person may have bruised or fractured ribs if they received CPR. If their breathing or heartbeat stopped for a significant amount of time, they may have organ damage. Organ damage can be caused by tissue death from lack of oxygen.
More serious complications may occur if they had no effective heartbeat and their pulse wasnt restored quickly enough. These complications can include:
- coma, caused by lack of blood and oxygen to the brain, typically following cardiac arrest
- shock, caused by insufficient blood pressure to the vital organs
- death, caused by lack of circulation and oxygen to the heart muscle
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Everyone Should Drink Eight Glasses Of Water A Day
Dehydration is a serious issue that can cause cramping, loss of mental focus, and an increased risk of heat stroke. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men drink 13 cups of fluid a day and women drink 9 cups to stay adequately hydrated. Even though the recommendation is a good starting point, in actuality how much fluid your body needs depends on a lot of factors. For example, your need for water increases with hot weather, sickness, and vigorous exercise. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are also recommended to consume more fluids.
Keep in mind that fluids come not just from water, but also from soups and other beverages like milk, tea, and coffee. Foods such as watermelon, cucumbers, and tomatoes contain fluid too!
So, how can you tell whether youre drinking enough water? By how frequently you are thirsty along with the color and smell of your urine. If you are drinking enough water, you should rarely feel thirsty and your urine should be colorless or a pale yellow without a strong smell.
Verdict: Myth
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Tips For Increasing Your Water Intake
- Carry a water bottle with you or leave one at your desk/workspace.
- Use an app to track your water intake.
- Add freshly cut fruit to your water jug or bottle for some flavour.
- Set reminders on your phone to have a glass of water.
- Keep an easily accessible jug of water in your fridge.
- Switch one of your tea/coffee breaks to water instead.
Adapted from original article provided by Kate Mayhew.
Can Drinking Water Every Day Lower Your Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the measurement of the force the heart applies against artery walls as it propels blood to the body. Healthcare providers use two numbers to measure your blood pressure a normal reading, for example, is 120/80mm Hg.
The top number shows the pressure in blood vessels when the heart is beating, and its called systolic pressure. The bottom number measures diastolic pressure, the force of blood in the arteries while the heart is relaxed between beats.
High blood pressure is when blood flow through the arteries is higher than usual. The other name for this is hypertension. Normal pressure is usually 120/80 and below, while high blood pressure is 130/80, marking stage I of the condition.
Stage II high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Anything more than 180/110 is abnormally high and requires immediate medical treatment.
The higher your blood pressure is, the higher your risk of having other health problems like heart attack, heart disease, and stroke.
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Cons Of Drinking Water Before Bed
With all the advantages of staying hydrated, should you think twice before grabbing that extra glass of H20 before bedtime?
Interestingly, heres one reason why drinking too much water before bed may not be ideal when it comes to getting uninterrupted sleep.
When you drink a lot of water before bedtime, you may have to get up at night to visit the restroom, causing an unnecessary interruption in your sleep. And theres no guarantee that you may fall right back asleep.
When a person goes to the bathroom overnight two or more times, they may be experiencing what is known as nocturia a condition in which you wake up to use the bathroom to urinate several times per night. This condition can stem from other underlying health issues, or simply being too well hydrated! Nocturia occurs in 50 million US adults, with research showing that it affects 2% to 18% of people ages 20 to 40. Its prevalence increases with age as it affects 28% to 62% of people between 70 to 80 years.
Research suggests that nocturia increases a persons risk of developing insomnia.Nocturia also leads to fragmented sleep, impacting a persons ability to get proper recovery sleep.
Drinking too much water at nighttime may contribute to nocturia. Other associated conditions include bladder overactivity, bladder infection, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.
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Dehydration Impacts Heart Rate And Performance
There has been some controversy lately over the effects of dehydration on health and performance in athletes. Its consequences for performance were investigated in a recent Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study.
The researchers performed a review of the scientific literature to investigate the effects of hydration status on heart rate. They chose only studies that included comparisons of dehydration to euhydration , and conducted research specifically in the heat. The search resulted in twenty studies to include in the review.
Naturally, the idea here is that when exercise is conducted in the heat, athletes lose water, mainly through sweat. This may also apply to other sports in which water is cut to achieve a specific weight class. This topic has actually come under debate, and some believe that perhaps the consequences of dehydration have been overhyped.
The researchers chose to analyze heart rate for a couple reasons. First, heart rate is a decent gauge of health, fitness, and stress. The heart responds to a variety of physical and psychological stimuli, and the way it responds has a great deal to do with a persons wellbeing. Second, measuring heart rate is a simple test that anyone can perform and is easy for everyone to understand. Many kinds of tests require lab conditions, such as VO2 max testing, but measuring heart rate only requires a clock.
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Should You Drink Water Before Bed Here Are The Pros And Cons
Water accounts for up to 60% of body weight, and losing 10% or more of body water can have severe health consequences. It may sound obvious, but we humans cant survive without adequate water intake, as its an essential nutrient that supports bodily functions which keep our bodies performing as theyre meant to. Maintaining proper hydration can also help improve physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep health.
If youre a regular water drinker, you may wonder if its beneficial to add drink a glass of water into your nighttime wind-down routine. Or maybe youre looking for more simple ways to get a better nights rest, and youve heard that drinking water might help. Should everyone drink water before bed? Lets look at the pros and cons of drinking water before bed and if the benefits outweigh the downsides.
Lowers Blood Pressure And Heart Rate
An article published in Scientific Reports suggests that water reduces cardiac workload with a noticeable effect on heart rate and blood pressure. It further indicated that the decrease in blood pressure and heart rate might be partly due to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, the bodys rest, digest, and recovery state.
Similarly, a 2020 study suggests that drinking water habitually before bedtime may reduce blood pressure.
Water helps the heart pump blood more efficiently, as it may prevent strain on the heart, blood pressure, and heart rate. When a persons heart rate and blood pressure are lower, theyre better able to de-stress and relax, which helps with falling asleep faster and staying asleep.
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Can Drinking Water Lower My Heart Rate
Your heart rate may temporarily spike due to nervousness, stress, dehydration or overexertion. Sitting down, drinking water, and taking slow, deep breaths can generally lower your heart rate. To lower your heart rate in the long term, stick to the healthy lifestyles habits listed below: Exercise more.
Why my heart rate is so high?
Stress, exercise, or even too much alcohol or caffeine can cause your heart to beat faster than normal. But if your heart races a lotor if you notice your heartbeat is often irregularthen you should see a doctor.
Does cold water lower heart rate?
Signs And Symptoms Of Dehydration
Water makes up over two-thirds of the healthy human body. It lubricates the joints and eyes, helps digestion, flushes out waste and toxins, and keeps the skin healthy.
When the normal water content of your body is reduced, it upsets the balance of minerals in your body. This affects the way your body functions.
Signs of dehydration can vary depending on how much of your body weight is lost through fluids.
Early warning signs of dehydration include:
This is the body’s way of trying to increase water intake and decrease water loss.
You should be able to reverse dehydration at this stage by drinking more fluids.
Dehydration can lead to a loss of strength and stamina. It’s a main cause of heat exhaustion.
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What Is Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat illness and is a life-threatening emergency. It is the result of long, extreme exposure to the sun. In this case, a person does not sweat enough to lower body temperature. The elderly, infants, persons who work outdoors, people with mental illness, obesity, poor circulation, and those on certain types of medicines or drinking alcohol are most susceptible to heat stroke. It is a condition that develops rapidly and needs immediate medical treatment.
Drinking Plenty Of Water Is Just One Component Of Heart Health
While hydrating adequately is important, Granger says that controlling blood pressure, avoiding cigarettes, and maintaining a healthy weight are the known keys to sustained heart health.
One key to making sure your water intake meets your needs is to limit your salt intake and to shy away from sugary drinks. In a rodent study published in September 2022 in the journal Nutrition, young rodents fed a high fat or very high fat diet containing high-fructose drinks developed cardiovascular damage in early adulthood.
I recommend that my patients drink water compared to other liquids and certainly limit salt consumption. Our bodies are certainly very adept at maintaining all of these electrolytes in balance, but we have to also provide what the body needs by drinking enough water and limiting salt intake, says , cardiologist and heart failure specialist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Its also important to check in with your physician who can review your lab work and health status to give you appropriate guidance, she adds.
Need a little extra help getting enough water? Erin Coates, RD, a health coach who has worked at the Cleveland Clinic, suggests putting five rubber bands around a 16-ounce water bottle every morning. Every time you finish a bottle, take one of the bands off, with the goal of removing all five bands by the time you go to bed.
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How Much To Drink After Exercising
To adequately rehydrate after your exercise session, aim to drink one and a half times the fluid you lost while exercising. Dont do this all in one go. Spread it over the next two to six hours.
You need to drink more fluid than you lost while exercising because you continue to lose fluid through sweating and urination for some time after you have finished your session.
How Can I Hydrate Myself Quickly
If youre worried about your or someone elses hydration status, here are the 5 best ways to rehydrate quickly.
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So How Much Water Exactly Do You Need
Every individual is different, and as such, the amount of water they need each day can vary. Some recommend 64 ounces of water or other liquid daily. Remember that you also receive water from the food you eat. Conversely, while coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages can hydrate us, they are also diuretics, meaning that more water is flushed out of our bodies as well. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already considered dehydrated. Another way to gauge hydration is checking urine color: if urine is clear or hay colored, you are probably well hydrated.
It is also important to remember that the amount of hydration you need during the day will vary based on a number of factors including:
Six Ways To Drink More Water
Try these tips to keep your fluid intake up:
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