One needs to drink plenty of water to stay fit- people hear this all the time. Water makes up about two third of our bodies, and it is extremely important for our survival. Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration. The fluid that is excreted is more than the fluid intake. Men are advised to drink 3 liters of water a day and women, 2.2 liters. Severe dehydration can cause physical and mental problems. Death can be caused too. There are a number of signs which can tell if one is not hydrated enough.
- The skin- The first sign of dehydration is the drying up of the skin. When there’s scarcity of water, the body sends water to the brain where it’s needed the most. This should not be compared to dry skin. Dehydration causes the skin to dry up and yet the amount of oil produced makes the top of the skin oily. Hydrated skin looks plump, smooth and bounces back easily.
- Colour and quantity of urine- When the body is dehydrated, the blood flow to the kidneys decreases and that causes Oliguria. The amount of urine excreted out decreases. The colour of the urine too can help us determine if our body is being dehydrated. Darker the shade of yellow is, more dehydrated one is. Lighter shade indicates that one is hydrated.
- Dry mouth, bad breath- When the body does not have enough water, the production of saliva decreases. This affects the process of swallowing and talking. Dry mouth also causes bad breath. Saliva helps fight the bacteria that make the human mouth their homes. The bacteria growth is responsible for the bad breath.
- Headache and loss of focus- The loss of water leads to reduction in blood flow which in turn decreases the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain. The blood vessels in the brain dilate and swell to cause headaches. One feels lightheaded and dizzy. One cannot focus. This is known as brain fog.
Keeping oneself hydrated is not that difficult. One can keep a bottle of water right in front of them all the time. One cannot just not drink water when it is starting at them the whole time. Drinking water all the time can be difficult. One can replace it with fruit juice, energy drinks, fruits and veggies which contain water to keep themselves hydrated.