Metabolic Disorders

Recently Answered

• QDoes humidity make a person dehydrate faster when exercising?

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  A Dr. Agueda Hernandez, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida

  Dehydration is quite preventable, even in the heat and humidity found in South Florida and other locations affected by tropical weather. The problem with type of unique climate is that humidity affects how easily sweat evaporates from skin. 
  Sweat must be evaporated to cool off the body. When humidity is 60 percent or greater, it is difficult for sweat to evaporate into the air. And that's important because sweat is our body’s way of keeping cool. However, when we perspire we lose body fluids and that can lead to dehydration.
• QWhat is systematic amyloidosis?

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  A Johns Hopkins Medicine answered

  Disorders of peripheral nerves are the most common neurological complications of systemic amyloidosis-an illness where a protein called amyloid is deposited in tissues and organs. Amyloidosis can affect peripheral sensory, motor or autonomic nerves and deposition of amyloid lead to degeneration and dysfunction in these nerves.

  The typical symptoms of amyloid neuropathy are due to sensory and autonomic dysfunction. Patients may experience painful paresthesias (unusual sensations), numbness and balance difficulties due to sensory dysfunction and persistent nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, incontinence, sweating abnormalities or sexual dysfunction due to autonomic nerve involvement.

  Diagnosis of amyloid neuropathies is based on history, clinical examination and supporting laboratory investigations. These include electromyography with nerve conduction studies, skin biopsies to evaluate cutaneous nerve innervation, and nerve and muscle biopsies for histopathological evaluation. In cases of familial amyloidosis, genetic testing in the blood may be useful.

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• QHow does sweating affect electrolyte losses?

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  A Dr. Michael Bergeron, PhD , Sports Medicine, answered on behalf of Sanford Health

  Sweat electrolyte losses, particularly sodium and chloride, vary by individual. Muscle cramping due to exertional heat stress can be attributed to an electrolyte deficit caused by sweating, as the sodium and chloride lost through sweat are not matched sufficiently by dietary salt intake. Replacing sodium is crucial to enhancing body-water retention and distribution. Some athletes are referred to as “salty sweaters” because they have a relatively high concentration of sodium in their sweat and a high sweat rate. This combination puts these particular athletes at an elevated risk for developing muscle cramps. Knowing how much fluid and electrolytes your body loses through sweating helps you to properly rehydrate after training or competition.
• QHow can dehydration affect sports performance?

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  A Dr. Michael Bergeron, PhD , Sports Medicine, answered on behalf of Sanford Health

  Your body only needs to be dehydrated slightly to have a negative impact on performance, especially in the heat. Side effects of significant dehydration during sport include decreased performance, strained cardiovascular system, premature fatigue and increased risk for heat illness. This highlights why being properly hydrated before beginning a training session or competition is crucial for your body to perform safely and at its best. A simple way you can determine if you are drinking enough is by looking at the color and volume of your urine. Urine that is darker in color and low in volume can be a sign of significant dehydration. The goal is to have regular urinations that are light yellow in color. If you are making frequent stops at the bathroom with perfectly clear urine, it is probably a sign that you are drinking too much water.
• QWhat are mucolipidoses (ML)?

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  A Piedmont Heart Institute answered

  Mucolipidoses (ML) are a group of inherited metabolic diseases that affect the body's ability to carry out the normal turnover of various materials within the cells. In ML, abnormal amounts of carbohydrates or fatty materials (lipids) accumulate in the cells. Since our cells are not able to handle such large amounts of these substances, damage occurs to the cells, causing symptoms that range from mild learning disabilities to severe mental retardation and skeletal deformities. Symptoms of ML can be congenital (present at birth), or begin in early childhood, or adolescence. Early symptoms can include vision problems and developmental delays. Over time, many children with ML develop poor mental capacities, have difficulty reaching normal developmental milestones, and, in many cases, eventually die of the disease.
  This answer is based on source information from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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• QWhat is familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia?

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  A Dr. Jack Merendino, MD , Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, answered

  Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) is a hereditary condition of parathyroid gland sensing. The parathyroid glands in this condition do not properly sense blood calcium levels and secrete excess parathyroid hormone (PTH) even when the blood calcium level is normal. This results in a rise in the blood calcium. This is a true form of hyperparathyroidism, but it tends to be relatively benign, with only mild elevation of the blood calcium and relatively few long-term complications. The hallmark of the condition is an unusually low urine calcium excretion, typically less than 50 mg of calcium in the urine in 24 hours. The condition is not always hereditary -- there are non-familial cases as well. Measurement of urine calcium excretion is an important part of the evaluation of someone with a high blood calcium level, both to exclude FHH as a diagnosis and to determine if the person is at high risk of kidney stones, which might prompt one to recommend surgery.  
• QWhat are the symptoms of amyloidosis?

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  A Penn Medicine answered

  Symptoms of amyloidosis are frequently vague and appear similar to those of other common diseases spanning the areas of cardiology, nephrology, neurology, and more.
  Often, it is the presence of many persistent, unrelated symptoms that alert a physician to the possibility of amyloidosis. Left untreated, the disease can be potentially life threatening so receiving a diagnosis early and accurately is very important.
  General symptoms may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Foamy urine
  • Joint pain
  • Low red blood cell count (anemia)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Swelling in the ankles, legs, and tongue
  • Tingling and numbness in hands and feet
  • Weight loss
• QHow can I prevent dehydration?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Studies have shown that losing as little as 2% of your body weight in fluid will adversely affect the function of your circulatory system and decrease performance levels. Thirst alone is a poor indicator of how much water you should be drinking. A good way to keep track of how much you should drink is by first determining your average daily weight ie. when you wake up.  Drink enough water, juice, or sports drink during exercise to maintain this starting weight.

  Some guidelines for staying hydrated are as follows:

  • Consume 16 ounces of fluid 2 hours before exercise. More may be needed if you’re exercising in warm weather.
  • Drink 20 to 40 ounces of fluid for every hour of exercise
  • If exercise lasts more than an hour, use a sports drink that can replace both fluid, electrolytes, and dwindling muscle glycogen stores.
  • Take in 20 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight lost after exercise.

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• QWhat causes dehydration?

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  A Riverside Health System answered

  Dehydration may be caused by not drinking enough water, losing too much fluid or both. Any of the following may increase your chance of having dehydration:

  • advanced age with decreased ability to sense thirst or to concentrate urine
  • being in the sun or heat for too long, or sweating a lot, such as when you exercise
  • diseases, such as stroke, diabetes, heart problems or infections
  • medicines that cause you to lose water and salt, such as diuretics (water pills)
  • vomiting, diarrhea or fever that lasts a long time

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• QCan I prevent dehydration without drinking excess fluids?

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  A dotFIT answered

  Yes, you don’t need to drink in excess, you simply need to make sure you start your activity completely hydrated and replace what you use as you go through your activity and/or daily routine. For healthy sedentary adults living in temperate climates: Men: 125 oz (~3qts) of water per day from all dietary sources; Women: 91 oz (~2qts) of water per day from all dietary sources. ~20% of your fluid requirements will come from foods you eat. Below are for athletes and exercisers:
  General Fluid Requirements

  • Fluids should be cold, palatable and selected based on the type and duration of the activity.  
  • Sports drinks should contain four to eight percent carbohydrate. Drinks greater than 10 percent carbohydrate may slow stomach emptying, cause abdominal cramping and impair performance.
  • Drinks with a combination of glucose, glucose polymers and fructose may enhance water absorption.

  Pre-exercise Guidelines

  • Drink approximately 16 to 24 ounces of fluid two hours before activity.
  • On warm or humid days, drink an additional eight to 16 ounces 30 to 60 minutes before activity.
  • Water is adequate for activities less than an hour as long as meals are consumed regularly.
  • For endurance events, training sessions longer than 60 minutes, or multiple practices a day, choose a sport drink containing four to eight percent carbohydrate (e.g. Gatorade).

  During Exercise

  • Depending on your sport, consume three to six fluid ounces of water or sports drink every 15 minutes.  This equates to approximately 32 ounces per hour.
  • For prolonged exercise greater than 60 minutes, choose a sports drink with small amounts of electrolytes.

  Post-exercise Guidelines

  • Immediately following activity, drink at least 16 to 20 ounces of fluid for every pound of weight lost to ensure proper rehydration. Supervise your youth athletes to ensure they drink the entire amount of fluid you provide.
  • A liquid shake with high carbohydrate content, minimal protein and fat can refuel energy stores and maximize recovery after demanding training bouts. Consume this as soon as possible after workouts or events. The dotFIT FirstString™ Powder meets the NCAA guidelines and is ideal for youth and college athletes.
  • Drink an additional 16 ounces with your post workout meal. This meal should be consumed within two hours after activity.
  • Weigh yourself each morning.  A fairly stable weight generally indicates proper fluid balance.