How does dehydration affect my kidneys?

As we all know, water plays an incredibly important part in the working of our body. One of its most important roles is to remove waste from our blood in the form of urine. However, according to experts at Kidney Research UK, when our bodies are dehydrated, the urine we produce has a higher concentration of minerals and waste, which can lead to the formation of crystals within our bloodstream. These crystals can affect kidney function and contribute to kidney diseases such as kidney stones and even kidney failure.

How will I know if I have kidney problems?

Although it may be easy to tell if you have kidney stones, there are other symptoms of kidney problems that might not be so obvious. When we are severely dehydrated, our kidney function can be rapidly reduced, leading to an acute kidney injury (AKI). While AKI’s do not always cause symptoms, some signs of kidney include producing less urine than usual, nausea, fatigue, high blood pressure and swelling in the legs, ankles or feet. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention.

How can I prevent kidney damage?

Apart from staying hydrated, there are other ways you can protect your kidneys. We should get our blood pressure and blood glucose levels regularly checked by doctors as they can be good indicators of kidney health. And of course, the usual health advice applies to your kidneys as well as your overall mental and physical health: reduce your salt intake, manage your weight, create a regular exercise routine and moderate any alcohol.

Do you have trouble getting off to sleep? Try a warm shower before bedtime, say sleep experts.

Studies have found that people who bathe before bedtime fall asleep faster. In the hours before bedtime, a human’s core body temperature naturally cools, while skin temperatures of the hands and feet increase. Scientists believe that immersing your body in warm water aids this natural temperature regulation process, improving sleep as a result.

It is important to get the timing right, says sleep physician Dr David Rosen.

“Make sure your warm shower is at least one hour before bed, because that is what is best supported by research,” he says.

Dr Rosen says the warm shower habit can become part of your bedtime routine, like stopping harmful sleep habits such as screen time, and starting helpful ones like creating a restful bedroom environment.

Can a cold shower help you sleep too? While there are benefits to cold showers, improving sleep does not seem to be one of them. Cold water tends to be stimulating, raising levels of the hormones cortisol and norepinephrine which can boost your alertness.

But dermatologists say products designed for these purposes are much better options and warn that toothpaste may exacerbate skin conditions.

Because toothpaste is not formulated for the skin, it can lead to dryness, irritation and inflammation, potentially delaying the pimple healing process or worsening acne, they say.

To prevent pimples or treat them, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends over-the-counter products containing adapalene, azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.

Toothpaste is not an effective treatment for burns or to whiten fingernails, either. While toothpaste may have a cooling effect, one study showed that it can worsen burns. As for your fingernails, it can cause irritation.

So what are common symptoms in women?

Women often describe heart attack pain as pressure or tightness in the chest, rather than the sharp pains experienced by men.

Medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Centre for Women’s Health in NYU and cardiologist, Dr Nieca Goldberg, says that often women report abdominal pressure that feels like an elephant is sitting on your stomach. Other symptoms may include unusual fatigue, cold sweats and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, or as Dr Goldberg says, “it can feel like you have run a marathon, but you didn’t move.”

Women and men can also feel discomfort in the neck, jaw, shoulders, upper back, or even the upper stomach. These symptoms can build gradually, making them easier to dismiss as something less serious.

When should you call for help?

Here is a startling fact: according to a study by Dr Rita f. Redberg, director of Women’s Cardiovascular Services for the University of California, women generally wait longer than men before going to the emergency room. It is understandable: few people would consider sweating and back pains to be serious, so when do we know when to call for medical assistance?

Well, the key is to acknowledge what feels unusual. If you have uncomfortable pressure in your chest which lasts for a few minutes, uncomfortable and irregular discomfort in your arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach, shortness of breath, cold sweat and nausea, you should call emergency services immediately.

When it comes to your heart, waiting is a risk you cannot afford to take.

9. Empty all the small bins.

10. Do a speed tidy – even just one room at a time.

While cleaning may not be your idea of fun, you would be surprised at how much you can get done in just five minutes, leaving you plenty of time to kick back and relax in your newly tidy space.

Lead author Associate Professor Lukas Parker said date labels were widely misused by people because they were confusing.

“Consumers want clear, consistent and easy-to-read information,” he said.

“Date labels should be in a large font with contrasting colours so that they are easy to find and interpret.”

Parker said a solution could be labels with practical tips on properly storing food and sealing packaging, as the study found advice such as ‘store in a cool, dry place’ was interpreted as vague and unhelpful.

“Including specific temperature guidelines for storage on packaging would help,” he said. “Particularly in a cost-of-living crisis, people need information on how to properly store and prolong the shelf life of food.”

How do you define your own values?

At the heart of it, values are what matters most to you. Things like being creative, having integrity, or being kind are all values.

It can be hard when you first sit down to think about values to come up with a list without a guide. You will find many value lists online.

Once you have identified your top five values, it is worth thinking about how closely you are living to those values right now. If you find things are not matching up, think about why that is and what you can do to get back on track. Values may shift a little across your life, but your core values will generally be your guideposts as you move through different stages.

Steve Hays, co-founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy shares: ‘Values are like a compass: they help us navigate through the challenges of life’.

5 questions to define your values

Try asking yourself these questions to get started on your values quest:

1. Who do I admire and why?

2. What am I passionate about?

3. When am I at my happiest or most fulfilled?

4. What would I stand up for, even if it was unpopular?

5. How do I want to be remembered by the people I love?

These questions will help you dig deeper on what really matters to you.

To make things simple, consider breaking your life into quadrants: work, relationships, leisure and health. Take the time to outline how you would like to show up in each area of your life, then for each of these domains reflect on:

1. The challenges you faced last year.

2. The wins you had.

3. What you want more of in each area.

4. What you are grateful for.

5. What you need to let go of.

If you see a gap between what you want your life to be like and how you are actually living, think through what obstacles might be getting in the way and what action you can take to close that gap.

Using this information, set a simple intention for each life zone that will provide guidance for your year ahead.

Done well, reflection exercises help you get clear on your values and your personal circumstances so you can set intentions for the year ahead that are meaningful to you.

How to give a compliment

The best compliments are specific rather than general, says Smiling Mind. Rather than saying ‘good job!’ or ‘nice one!’, think through what you would like to say.

• Make it personal to your workmate by highlighting what skills or qualities they showed, and when and how they displayed them.
• Be authentic. Use words and body language that is typical for your relationship with that person.
• Keep the compliment to the point. Brief, specific compliments will appear more genuine that lots of general praise.

Go ahead and give a compliment today. It is the gift that will cost you nothing.