It is that time of the year when common cold and cough are frequently encountered symptoms by all. On an average, adults get 4 to 6 colds per year. Cold and cough may be allergic in nature or associated with bacterial and/or viral infections which is commonly referred to as upper respiratory tract infections (URTI).
As per national health portal of India more than 4 crore cases of respiratory tract infections were reported in 2019. In addition to cough, patient may have complaints like sore throat, fever, muscle pain, runny nose, nasal blockage and can experience fatigue but what tends to get missed or overlooked during these conditions are the signs of dehydration. What is dehydration ? In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Abdul Majid Khan, Consultant Physician and Diabetologist at Olive Hospital in Hyderabad, shared, “Dehydration means depletion of body fluids due to either excessive losses or reduced intake or both.
All types of fluids lost contain electrolytes in varying quantities, so fluid loss is always accompanied by some degree of electrolyte loss. This is referred to as silent dehydration, as one can miss it due to lack of awareness. Silent dehydration is a widespread concern which is also seen due to common cold and cough associated with upper respiratory tract infections.
Electrolytes like sodium and chloride help to maintain body fluid balance while potassium, calcium and magnesium are involved in proper functioning of nerves and muscles.” He explained, “I.