I’m lying awake with a bad cold, and I have been drinking water all night and only needed the loo once. Still feel parched. Don’t think I’m running a significant fever.
Yes, I’m making horrid yellow phlegm, but not nearly on the scale of the water intake.
What the hell is going on below deck to use all the water? Am I just delusional with the pain of a mildly sore throat and joints?
In: Biology
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Cells are mostly water containers. All those containers are probably filling up to ensure they have the resources to survive any immune response needed.
When your immune system is actively fighting disease, there’s a lot more bodily activity. That means you need more water to support that activity. Your body stores or uses most of the water you drink — that’s even more the case when you’re sick.
Your sore joints may also be from inflammation, which often causes fluid to move into tissues where it doesn’t normally belong.
Your body may also be producing more blood to increase your blood pressure and ensure circulation of immune responses like white blood cells.
Taking in more water can help your body prevent a fever, because water is used in temperature regulation. So if you *don’t* have a fever, this may be thanks to good hydration.
Your digestive system is also likely slowed down during illness, because resources are being used elsewhere. That just means that the water you’re taking in will take longer to reach the exit. You may find that you have to pee a lot once you feel slightly better.
Finally, when you’re sick you might be breathing with your mouth a lot more. This causes significantly more water loss than breathing with your nose.
a lot of water is lost though breathing, the amount increases when : heartrate / breathing rate increases and relative humidity in the room is low.
also if you are taking medication to reduce fever you are sweating quite a bit.
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