Can Dehydration Cause Vertigo? 6 Tips on Staying Hydrated & Healthy

One thing that sometimes ends up getting missed when you’ve been having vertigo, feeling dizzy, or having lightheadedness issues, is how much hydration you have been getting. The average individual is well over 50% percent water, so replenishing it is vital. When we don’t, our body becomes dehydrated.

Dehydration will happen when you lose more water than you’re taking in. This causes your body to not have enough water to effectively carry out critical tasks like breathing, digestion, and other essential functions. We can begin to experience side effects like:

• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Fainting
• Dark urine
• Dry mouth and lips
• Weakness

Dehydration can also cause a specific type of dizziness called vertigo, which causes sensations like:

• Tilting
• Swaying
• Spinning
• Floating
• Worsening symptoms when moving or standing

There are other causes of vertigo besides just dehydration, such as inner ear problems, migraines, and issues with the jaw. If you’ve experienced any of these things, read on about ways to increase the levels of hydration or know if you’re at the right level of hydration for your body size and your lifestyle.

How Much Water Should You Be Drinking?

Your hydration requirements can be determined by simply using your current body weight. The average person needs to drink about half to two-thirds of their weight (in pounds) in ounces. For example, a 200-pound person needs around 150 ounces of water each day. There are other factors to consider such as:

• Climate: If you’re in a warmer climate, you’ll probably require more water than you would in a colder climate
• Lifestyle Activeness: If you live a very active lifestyle or work out often, your requirements would be higher than that of a sedentary lifestyle.
• Metabolism: Those with a faster metabolism will need more water than those with slower metabolisms.

Tips for Drinking More Water

Now, you may be wondering and wanting to know how you can increase your water intake. There’s many different methods to get into the habit of drinking more water daily. 

• Tracking your intake: Setting an alarm or reminder on your phone to drink water is a good strategy. There are also several apps you can tailor to your water intake goals. There are even high-tech bottles that connect to your smartphone and record how much you drink.
• Flavor it: Try adding fruit to your water such as lemons, limes and oranges. Watermelon, strawberries, cucumber and different herbs are good options as well.
• Keep a reusable water bottle with you: Keep a bottle with you handy wherever you go so you have easy access to water at all times.
• Replace or alternate drinks with water: Replacing sugary drinks with water can boost your health and reduce calorie intake as well as help keep you hydrated. You don’t have to give up soda or juice completely, simply try alternating with water. When you finish a glass of water, switch to your drink of choice, then back to water and vice versa.
• Make it part of a routine: Make a point to finish a glass of water with meals or after going to the bathroom.
• Eat foods with high water content: An easy way to increase water intake is by eating foods made up of mostly water such as lettuce, watermelon, celery, and cantaloupe.

The ways to increase hydration are numerous, and what works for one individual may not work for another. What do you do if you’re not quite there? I always recommend going about building up hydration slowly, especially if you have other factors with your health that increased water intake can affect. If you have any sort of blood pressure issues, you’re on a water pill, or you have kidney issues, look to connect with your doctors who manage that to figure out the right strategy for you.

If you don’t have any conditions, start by trying to add one cup of water a day for an entire week. The next week we’ll add a second cup a day for the entire week,  then continue on this way until you’re up to the volume that you’re supposed to be at. You will come to realize you’ll have more energy, feel fuller and you may even start to lose weight. 

Why is Hydration Important

Beyond avoiding vertigo and other symptoms of dehydration, staying hydrated plays a critical role in several different body functions. Proper hydration allows our bodies to regulate our body temperature, fight infections, get better sleep, and even improve your mood.

At Align Wellness Center, we’ve treated many patients with vertigo. One of the questions we get asked often is, can dehydration cause vertigo? While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to what’s causing your vertigo, our team is dedicated to finding the root of the problem.

If you’d like tips on how you can stay healthy and well without drugs and surgery, go ahead and check out other articles on this site. If you continue to struggle with hydration or feel discomfort from vertigo and dizziness give us a call at Align Wellness Center (847) 860-6599 or schedule an appointment online.

If you or someone you know is experiencing vertigo, dizziness, or dehydration, contact us today or stop by the office. We’re located at 900 Skokie Blvd., Suite 113, Northbrook, IL, 60062.