Effect of dehydration?

[Big Sky]

Just finished 1,350 miles of mountain riding - Rocky Mountain west Montana and Beartooth Highway and Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming - in 90-100 degree daytime temps. Thought I was successfully hydrating but my rate of urination was nevertheless surprisingly low. Midway of the trip, my jaw got sore and that side of my neck, jaw and cheek swelled alarmingly. This morning the doc said a plugged salivary gland and infection. I asked the cause and he said dehydration is one. He said when you're badly dehydrated saliva ceases flowing and actually you can get a reverse effect where bacteria and stuff from your mouth can flow back into the gland, thus infection.

Hmmmm... A new one on me. At 52 years of age, 200,000 miles and 30 years of riding, I continue to learn more all the time. Will be flooding my system with water and minerals more in the future when riding continuously in these peak sumer temps.

Big Sky

 

[madmike2]

Good information!

Compared to passing out and falling off your bike (BTDT).....you did well.

 

[Scab]

Yeah, that's a new one to me too. I don't doubt it, just news.

Heat and dehydration can be a real *****. And it always doesn't make sense. It can be some serious danger on a bike, though.

 

[Bounce]

Good reason to rig a way to drink while riding. It's nearly impossible to "catch up" at gas stops.

 

[rushes]

One thing I like to do besides drinking a lot of water is to keep a piece of hard candy in my mouth, like peppermint or something.

It seems to help keep my mouth from feeling so dry.

Works for me. :thumbsup:

 

[FJRMGM]

yeah, dehydration can do many strange things to the body.

One good reason I wear my Camelback waist pouch all the time when at altitude or in the heat.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

There's a true story that was told around a number of years ago about a gal who was riding on a trip to a national rally/mc event. She was riding alone in Western states and, apparently, felt bad and pulled-off onto the shoulder -- where eventually someone spotted her off her bike and when she was treated by first responders/paramedics/and eventually, ambulance crew -- she was too dehydrated to revive.

There may have been other contributors....? But, dehydration can be that serious.

 

[black cherry]

Gunny on the camel back!

 

[eeksnake]

Yep! That's a new one to me too. Just another reason why it's important to...

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

 

[HotRodZilla]

It's all about Camelbaks or Hydrastorms. Hell, even the cheap reservoirs are better than nothing. Also, depending on your jacket, I have heard of some guys sliding 40-70 oz bladders into the pocket that their rear armor is in. Agree that you can't catch up at gas stations.

 

[artistic rider]

One thing I like to do besides drinking a lot of water is to keep a piece of hard candy in my mouth, like peppermint or something. It seems to help keep my mouth from feeling so dry.

Works for me. :thumbsup:

I don't know about that one. To many "Oh Crap" moments in the city. I would probably end up choking to death on the side of the road. :rip_1:

 

[Grumpy]

From the peddle bicycle days, dehydration causes you to make bad decisions!

 

[Fred W]

One thing I like to do besides drinking a lot of water is to keep a piece of hard candy in my mouth, like peppermint or something. It seems to help keep my mouth from feeling so dry.

Works for me. :thumbsup:

I don't know about that one. To many "Oh Crap" moments in the city. I would probably end up choking to death on the side of the road. :rip_1:

Plus, putting something in your mouth, while it may be soothing, doesn't actually help replenish your body's water loss from perspiration. If anything it may be detrimental since you will not feel the urge to drink as much / often.

 

[gr8eyes]

This is the reason I never made it to NAFO. I started the day before we left drinking about a gallon and a half of water. The day we left I drank 2 big glasses of water then again at 8:30 had another glass of water. We stopped at 10:30 and had some more. It was alredy getting warm and I thought about putting on my cool vest but I didn't. Two hours later I was dizzy,cramping in my legs and had a bad headache. Thats when I told Petey I thought I better turn around and go home. We ate lunch in Guymon OK but I didn't feel any better. Petey took off for Golden and I turned around to try and make it home. I put on the cool vest and with in 15 minutes I was much better. I don't know if I was dehydrated or just overheated. I do know I don't tolerate the heat near as well as I used to.

Glenn

PS I did 600 miles and never left OK. I was so disappointed.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Good reason to rig a way to drink while riding. It's nearly impossible to "catch up" at gas stops.

Unless you have a stock seat with a fat *** -- you stop more. I can attest to this as a poor solution, but it worked for me . I learned last week I can chug a liter of water in one drink too. I've chugged a liter of beer once, but the water was a new experience. Also found out on this trip a full face helmet makes sipping water while riding downright dangerous if not impossible for me.

 

[LDRydr]

Also found out on this trip a full face helmet makes sipping water while riding downright dangerous if not impossible for me.

It's easy if you've got a flip-up helmet. You just have to be quick about it so you don't end up with bugs in your face.

 

[Silver Penguin]

There's a true story that was told around a number of years ago about a gal who was riding on a trip to a national rally/mc event. She was riding alone in Western states and, apparently, felt bad and pulled-off onto the shoulder -- where eventually someone spotted her off her bike and when she was treated by first responders/paramedics/and eventually, ambulance crew -- she was too dehydrated to revive.There may have been other contributors....? But, dehydration can be that serious.

I can see this story being true. Part of my job as a pediatric ICU nurse involves the care of children who have become dehydrated through illness. We have to pump IV fluids with electrolytes into them, in a struggle between life and death. It's serious stuff. Sometimes, the kids are so dry that there isn't the option to get intravenous access because the veins are all flat. In that case, we have to stick a honking great needle into the shin, and access the hollow inside the bone. Not cool!

I don't like the bulk of the cool vest, nor the constriction of a camelbak but I will be wearing both for the ride home tomorrow. It's a choice between a little discomfort along the way, or some major problems later on.

As long as the FF helmet doesn't have the vinyl 'skirt', I have no problem drinking from a camelback as I'm riding. That works much better for me than trying to play catch up at gas stops. Even so, Andy and I usually split a bottle of Gatorade or similar when we stop, just because it's cold and fresh.

Jill

 

[dcarver]

I was in +110 for over 3.5 hours and saw a high of 122F at 82 mph. I run a SkyWay hydration system (.5 gallon) and drank through 5 jugs during that time frame. I never quit drinking water, and even though I didn't want more water I forced myself to drink it anyway. Even with that, urine output was low and acidic.

I also used a large bottle of drinking water to drench the mesh jacket inside while underway. My checkbook got soggy (inside pocket) but I made it through with no headaches, loss of decision making or other ill effects. That's my story why I can't now pay my bills, and I'm sticking to it!

 

[docsulivan]

Just finished 1,350 miles of mountain riding - Rocky Mountain west Montana and Beartooth Highway and Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming - in 90-100 degree daytime temps. Thought I was successfully hydrating but my rate of urination was nevertheless surprisingly low. Midway of the trip, my jaw got sore and that side of my neck, jaw and cheek swelled alarmingly. This morning the doc said a plugged salivary gland and infection. I asked the cause and he said dehydration is one. He said when you're badly dehydrated saliva ceases flowing and actually you can get a reverse effect where bacteria and stuff from your mouth can flow back into the gland, thus infection.
Hmmmm... A new one on me. At 52 years of age, 200,000 miles and 30 years of riding, I continue to learn more all the time. Will be flooding my system with water and minerals more in the future when riding continuously in these peak sumer temps.

Big Sky

Called sialolithiasis= salivary gland stone that forms when you get dehydrated and the salts in your saliva precipitate. If you can't get the slobber to flow and pass the stone by sucking hard candy, lemon drops, lemon wedge (lime from on top a corona ect.), you can develop sialadenitis and usually need antibiotics and removal. if the stone is at the end of the salivary duct, sometimes you can pop it like a zit.

Hydrate or die...

Doc