Can the sheer existence of snow lead to dehydration?
When I went to Stok Kangri trek, while climbing down from the peak, on the snow-filled slopes, I felt terribly dehydrated. I was having ample amount of water throughout the climb and yet, I felt dehydrated on the snow-filled slopes. However, once I was out of the snowy slopes on to the solid land, this feeling of dehydration went off.
Hence, my question is: is there a possible scientific explanation to the feeling of dehydration? i.e, if one is surrounded by snow, can the body end up losing water through the pores of the skin leading to a feeling of dehydration?
P.S.: I am NOT referring to eating of snow in place of drinking water. I am asking about a possible threat of dehydration when in a snowfall area.
EDIT: Solid land refers to slopes with no snow. It doesn't mean the end of efforts or an easier track. There was absolutely no difference in the gradient of the slope or the difficulties involved. The effort was made on the same day and it was as good as flipping a switch once I left the snowy slopes (the feeling of dehydration went off in a matter of minutes).
You have not provided any evidence you were actually dehydrated; it seems you only tought you were dehydrated - I assume …
11y ago
The altitude sickness sounds like the most likely explanation to me. However, one other factor is that snow reflects l …
8y ago
If being in air below 0C is not normal for you, the difference is probably caused by breathing through your mouth vs you …
11y ago
I am assuming that, as you moved out of the snow field you were also descending, therefore, I think it is more likely yo …
11y ago
Cold weather is usually associated with an increase of urine production. This urine production is a consequence of a bod …
11y ago
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You have not provided any evidence you were actually dehydrated; it seems you only tought you were dehydrated - I assume you had dry mouth and felt thirsty.
Symptoms and signs of dehydration are described here in great detail: Dehydration Symptoms and Signs. In short: thirst, dry mouth, fatigue, headache, nausea, decreased skin elasticity, dark urine, sudden loss of weight...
Also, it is not possible to be dehydrated and then become well hydrated without consuming any water. So, we are talking about feeling of thirst, which could be triggered psychologically by anxiety (from whatever reason) when being surrounded by snow.
Dry mouth associated with the feeling of thirst, pounding heart and even dizziness are common symptoms of anxiety. The same symptoms can appear in dehydration, so the two conditions can be easily confused.
How can you differ between the two conditions?
- When you are dehydrated, your thirst will be real: the water will go down your throat with ease. When the thirst is only a feeling caused by dry mouth, as in anxiety, you will feel like you need to force the water down.
- When you are dehydrated, and you pinch and release the skin at the back of your hand, the skin fold will need more than a second to flatten (a positive skin turgor test - a 44 sec video). When you are anxious but not dehydrated, the skin fold should flatten immediately.
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Cold weather is usually associated with an increase of urine production. This urine production is a consequence of a body strategy to prevent heat loss. The urine production increase might be responsible for your dehydration.
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If being in air below 0C is not normal for you, the difference is probably caused by breathing through your mouth vs your nose.
Where there is visible snow, it's colder than 0C. You can feel uncomfortable in your nose breathing in this cold. You won't actually get ice crystals forming in your nose, but you can feel that you are. Your reflex will be to breathe through your mouth more, even though it's safer in say -20C to breathe through your nose to warm the air and spare your lungs. (It doesn't matter at 0 how you breathe, 0 is not that cold.) Breathing through your mouth dries your mouth out.
You descend a little, it's 1 or 2 (or even 5) degrees warmer, you relax, and you breathe through your nose again so you stop drying out the inside of your mouth.
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I am assuming that, as you moved out of the snow field you were also descending, therefore, I think it is more likely you were experiencing altitude sickness and your symptoms reversed as you descended. The presence/absence of snow was purely coincidental.
Dehydration contributes to altitude sickness through,
- lower air density which increases respiration and, therefore, water loss, and
- lower air pressure which increases evaporation of moisture from the skin.
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The altitude sickness sounds like the most likely explanation to me.
However, one other factor is that snow reflects light. On a sunny day in the right circumstances, a snow slope can act as a giant reflector that can have some physiological side effects.
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