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Includes the following articles: (1) How Much Water
Should You be Drinking Daily (2) Overuse of
Diuretics and Hypertensive Medication too Often
Causes Communicative, Cognitive Dangers. Questions may
be submitted online through the "Contact Us" section
of this website or sent directly to: DigiCare
Hearing Research & Rehabilitation, P.O. Box 706,
Rye, CO 81069, or faxed to (719) 676-6882. Your
name, address, and telephone number along with your
request are required in order to receive a reply
from the Digicare team.
(Note: the following papers are strictly for public
education purposes, and are not meant to be taken as
medical advice.)
'HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING DAILY?'
Max S. Chartrand, M.A.
DigiCare Hearing Research & Rehabilitation
Simple, uncomplicated dehydration is something we
see more and more these days in patients at our
practice, with all the detrimental health
consequences it brings.
The average adult needs about four quarts of water
daily to maintain blood volume, body pH, and optimal
kidney function. Yet many older adults are
reportedly drinking about half that much, some as
little as one quart a day.
So, it is not unusual to find otherwise fit and
slender people increasingly having to take
medications more associated with obesity and high
fat diet: hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis,
diabetes mellitus II. On top of that, they also take
medication to offset the side effects of the primary
medicines--quite a bizarre way to good health.
Such a tragedy from simply not drinking enough
water. The question comes up regularly in how
something so simple and mundane can affect us so
much. In a nutshell, here is the process for a
moderately active adult weighing 160 lbs:
1. At a half-gallon per day, the blood volume (BV)
begins to fall, and the kidneys respond by
concentrating the body’s sodium content.
2. At one quart of water per day the body develops
hypernatremia (extremely high sodium) as a result of
secretion of anit-diuretic hormone (ADH) in the
body.
3. Chronic hypernatremia results in body pH
imbalance, which, not unlike hard water in one’s
water pipes at home, eventually causes a host of
other problems:
The body's cells become toxic & increase in size
Blood pressure rises (hypertension)
Blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides etc.)
do not dissolve
Calcium doesn’t absorb causing osteoarthritis
(1-2% loss per annum) or osteoporosis (3-5% loss)
Hypoglycemia develops, and later diabetes
mellitus II
Inner ear/vestibular problems increase
(Hearing thresholds can also fluctuate by as much as
10-15dB over time)
One reason the cause and effect relationship between
water intake and one’s health is so obscured is
because of the time delay factor. Hence, it requires
several weeks, sometimes months, of change in water
intake to detect any measurable changes, for better
or for worse.
Research further shows that the body is extremely
self-adjusting to deficiencies. However, like
adrenalin during crises, the body's adjustments are
only meant to be temporary, not permanent. When
deficiencies become a way of life, medications are
needed to maintain 'normality', at least at a
symptomatic level.
Fig. 1
'How Much Water is Enough?'
(Daily/in quarts)
Physical Activity Level
Body Weight (lbs) Low Moderate High
100-125 2.5 2.5 3.0
126-150 2.5 3.0 3.5
151-175 3.0 3.5 4.0
176-200 3.5 4.0 4.5
201-250 4.0 4.5 5.0
251-300* 4.5 5.0 5.0
*Note: Electrolyte balance and anitdiuretic hormone
(ADH) production become extremely critical in cases
of obesity, in which cases adequate water intake
requirements can only be determined by extensive
clinical tests and your doctor's advice.
Moreover, it's so vital to listen to one's body,
giving it what it needs to maintain function and
health, while avoiding substances that poison it,
such as tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine.
But there is a danger in one who is already under a
doctor's care and on medication in making
self-adjustments without communicating with their
doctor. For instance, after correcting a water
intake deficiency, blood pressure may drop
dramatically if medication levels are maintained. If
the pH rises, because of increased kidney
efficiency, and the patient remains on high levels
of anti-cholesterol medication, muscle wasting or
liver damage may eventually develop.
What does this all have to do with hearing health?
Quite a lot, actually. Presbycusis (progressive
hearing loss as we age), tinnitus (ringing in the
ears), and vestibular (balance) problems may rapidly
increase as a result of blood volume and pH changes.
The ears are actually a quite accurate reflection of
the of the body’s health, and reacts itself
accordingly.
CAUTION: Drinking too much water can also have dire
consequences, hyponatremia (low sodium levels) or
hyper/hypokalemia (high/low potassium), etc.. The
amount of water required daily varies according to
actual body weight, physical activity, and other
health factors. The above is offered only as public
education, and is not intended to be taken as
medical advice.
'OVERUSE OF DIURETICS & HYPERTENSIVE MEDICATION TOO
OFTEN CAUSES COMMUNICATIVE, COGNITIVE DANGERS'
Max S. Chartrand, Ph. D.
Health & Human Services/
Research in Communicative Disorders
One of the most misunderstood issues among both
patients and their healthcare professionals is the
significance (or lack of) of one's blood pressure.
This brief monologue will review some of the basic
principles governing issues surrounding artificial
control of the circulatory system and its influence
on hearing health.
MICRO & MACRO: BIRDS OF DIFFERENT FEATHERS
One of the greatest fallacies in controlling
abnormal blood pressure is ignoring the facf that
our circulatory system is comprised of two systems,
not just one. The most obvious is the 'Macro
System', comprised of the larger arteries and veins.
Because of the sheer volume of blood coursing
through the Macro System, slight pervasive changes
in cholesterol plague, hardening of the arteries,
varicose veins, as well as a host of inner and outer
wall conditions, can drastically affect overall
blood pressure.
But, more important for our hearing, balance, brain,
heart, and certain hormone-secreting organs is the
lesser-known 'Micro System'. Comprised of millions
of tiny blood vessels and capillaries, it provides
critical oxygen and nourishment to the
above-mentioned organs of the body. When
constricted, whether due to low blood pressure, high
blood lipids, or constricting vascular disease of
any kind, one may experience any of the following
conditions:
Progressive sensorineural hearing loss
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Vertigo and other balance disorders
Ataxia, dyspraxia (coordination problems)
Nystagmus (visual, focus problems)
Dementia (Alzheimer's, etc.)
Heart disease
Reduced hormone secretions (thyroid, insulin,
anitdiuretic hormone or ADH)
Reduced renal (kidney) function
OVERUSE OF DIURETIC/HYPERTENSIVES RAMPANT
Today, there exists widespread overuse of
medications to control high blood pressure, and a
host of other medications taken to offset their side
effects. Most are prescribed based upon scant
information and very little medical examination.
Diuretic medications can be dangerous to one’s
health, completely throwing off electrolyte
balances, and creating a host of unwanted side
effects detrimental to one's health. Whereas high
blood pressure can be deadly in the short term,
overuse or misadministration of circulatory
medications can be dangerous and life shortening in
the long term.
Diuretic/hypertensive medications should not be
prescribed (excepting emergency cases) without first
ascertaining the following data:
#1 The patient's daily total water intake must be
appropriate to body weight and activity level (see
Patient Prompt Sheet #1) Several blood pressure
readings should be taken, especially in resting
state. (A BP reading in a clinical setting may or
may not reflect a patient's usual stress state).
#2) Dietary factors, such as tobacco, caffeine, and
other medications should also be addressed and
counseled.
#3) Stress and psychosocial factors should be
weighed into the health profile, and counseling
given accordingly.
#4) Hearing/vestibular health is also considered.
When the above factors are considered, the author
estimates that as much as 80% of today's BP
medications would be eliminated, and medications
would be more used in the short-term, during crisis,
or while other more efficacious treatment is
pursued. In other words, diuretics as prophylaxis
would rarely be the prescribed course.
TOP 5 CAUSES OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
1. Chronic semi-dehydration
2. High sodium/low potassium diet
3. High LDL cholesterol, triglycerides
4. Renal/circulatory decline
5. Contributive psychosocial/stress factors
When underlying causes of blood pressure are not
considered, especially chronic semi-dehydration,
caffeine intake, and other dietary factors, are not
considered, we may lower BP in the Macro System,
while starving the Micro System. In the process, we
cause more hearing loss, louder tinnitus, more
episodes of vertigo, advancing dementia, depression,
a host of secretory deficiencies, and declining
health of the heart.
The key is to reduce dependency upon diuretic/
hypertensive medications as quickly as possible,
while addressing underlying causes. We must
acknowledge that artificially low blood pressure can
also be undesirable. By so doing, we will find much
happier patients, living longer and healthier, and
far fewer communicative/cognitive disorders.
Note: This monograph is offered only as public
education, and is not intended to be construed as
medical advice.
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