Naturopath and Medical Director, Safeway Biogenics, Lagos, Dr. Abel Durojaiye has stressed the importance of constant and unabated hydration of the body in order to prevent sudden death.
According to him, some of the sudden deaths recorded in Nigeria today are related with hydration deficiencies which were normally overlooked by patients and even medical personnel.
“There are a lot of ways that dehydration can cause sudden and unexpected death. One of such is Hypovolemic Shock in which shortage of fluid leads to a very sharp drop in blood pressure, resulting in cardiac arrest. Another is Brain Damage in which because 75% of the brain is water, drop in water intake results in brain cells’ shrinkage leading to confusion and irritability and in extreme cases, seizures and coma”, he said.
Other cases likely from water intake shortage, according to him, include Kidney Failure, Heat Stroke and Electrolyte Imbalance.
He recommended that for healthy individuals, the average daily water for men is about 15.5 cups and for women about 11.5 cups, depending on daily environmental conditions and human activity.
