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| Signs of Dehydration |
13 Signs of Dehydration Most People Ignore
Most people ignore
the symptoms of dehydration. Water plays a vital role in our body; it mainly keeps
our body hydrated. Whenever you get dehydration, especially in summer, you will
get troubles. Whether you are working outside or enjoying outdoor recreation it
is important to stay hydrated. According to a statistical finding, 75 percent
of Americans fail to meet their daily water intake and this is not good,
because you can get chronic dehydrated if it continues. Your body starts
showing warning signs that your body is lacking water. Our digestive system,
metabolism system, and every part of our body need water. Therefore, you should
notice some warning signals if you get dehydration. Older people are more
likely to get dehydrated.
CAUSES OF DEHYDRATION
Dehydration occurs
when your body loses excess water or fluid than it taking in. There are a lot
of things that may cause dehydration.
1. The commonest cause of dehydration is exposure to hot weather. When you are exposed
to a hot environment, the heat increases your body’s internal temperature. Your
body starts sweating to cool it and this causes loss of water for your body.
2. Intense
workout. If you perform intense exercise, your body expels an excessive amount
of body fluid through sweat. If this lost fluid is not replenished by drinking the proper
quantity of water, you can become dehydrated.
3. Vomiting
and diarrhea are the two conditions that cause dehydration and loss of
electrolytes. The condition becomes worst when you fail to drink the water due
to nausea.
Here are the 13
dehydration symptoms most people ignore.
1. HEADACHE
Headaches are one
of the possible signs that your body lacks water. Having less water drops your
body's hydration level leads to a reduced amount of fluid surrounding your
brain, which protects the brain from mild bumps and movement. This is a fact
because when your brain shrinks, it pulls away from your skull and will
activate pain receptors. Moreover, dehydration leads to headaches because it
decreases the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain. Headache sometimes
triggers migraines. Remember, when you suffering from headaches,
please drink a glass of water instead of reaching for a pill. If the headache
is due to dehydration, it will go away soon. You should drink water when you
wake up and when you have breakfast. It is to help you fulfill the needs for
water in half of your day.
Another thing that
happens when you get dehydration is you cannot think clearly, you cannot focus
on what you are doing. It is because your brain is not getting enough water.
The human brain, which is made up of approximately 90% water, it definitely
shows various signs when dehydrated. When your brain is not getting enough
water, its size actually shrinks as much as 2%, the brain cannot fire off the
neurotransmitters without enough water. As a result, your brain is fuzzy you
cannot think right. It can even cause symptoms like brain fog, forgetfulness,
and difficulty in focusing, thinking, communicating. Your words do not come
outright, and you cannot even remember the simplest things. Lack of water in
the brain can affect your decision-making, memory, and even mood.
3. DRY MOUTH AND BAD BREATH
Bad breath is the
most common sign that your body lacks water. Due to lack of water, your mouth
dries up and produces less saliva. Saliva contains antibacterial properties. The absence of enough saliva leads to the growth of bacteria in the mouth, causing stinky
breath. Bacteria present in the mouth feed on the cells and food particles and
decompose them to produce bad breath.
4. CONSTIPATION
Constipation is the
general sign of dehydration. However, you should remember that water could not
work alone in your digestive system. It needs fiber’s help as well. Both of
them should work together in balance to help you get rid of constipation. Be careful because a long period of constipation may cause fatal pain in the anus.
Due to diarrhea or vomiting, excessive fluid loss may also harden the stools
and lead to constipation. Lack of water in the body can even cause heartburn
and indigestion. Water helps to lubricate the digestive system and keeps the
digestive tract flexible and clean.
5. REDUCED URINATION
If you are not
urinating every after few hours or having very dark urine, your body is
probably lacking water. The first thing to see if you are dehydrated is by
checking the color of your urine. The color of your urine is an important
indicator of your hydration level. Clear or light-colored urine indicates a
well-hydrated body, while dark yellow or amber-colored urine could be a sign of
moderate to severe dehydration. If you are not urinating at all, then most
likely you are severely dehydrated. In this case, make sure to start drinking
more water to re-hydrate your body. A body releases its toxic through your
urination; not urinating on a regular basis can be problematic. Regular basis
urination is a sign of a healthy drinking habit.
6. LETHARGY AND FATIGUE
You always feel tired. When you are severely dehydrated, you easily get tired. It is because
your blood becomes thicker so it will not move as quickly as they normally do.
Lack of water causes low blood pressure and inadequate oxygen throughout the
body, including the brain. In the time of dehydration, your body needs more
power to ensure proper blood circulation, transporting nutrition, and even
breathing. That is why you feel fatigued and lethargic, which makes you sleepy
and tired. In this case, go and get your bottle of water. You should re-hydrate
your body immediately and get some rest.
7. MUSCLE
AND JOINT PAIN
A human body
contains about 80% water. Water is a vital component to keep your joints and
cartilage healthy. When your body lacks water, your bones start grinding
against each other, causing pain in the joints. If your body is well hydrated,
your joints can handle certain movements such as running, jumping, or falling
awkwardly without any pain. Due to dehydration, there is a change in the
electrolyte level in our blood. This electrolytic imbalance can cause muscle
cramps or soreness. Even in cold weather, you may suffer from muscle cramps while
exercising, as dehydration may develop due to the water loss by sweat during a workout, which may not be replenished with sufficient fluid intake.
8. DRY SKIN, LIPS, AND ACNE
As our skin is the
largest external organ connecting the internal circulation of fluid and
nutrients, anything we put in or do not put in our system will have an immense
impact on how our skin looks. Dehydration causes less sweating, which
means the body is not able to wash away excess dirt and oil accumulated on the
skin throughout the day. Water helps flush toxins from the body.
Dehydration increases the risk of acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Lack of water
also causes dry skin that lacks elasticity and chapped lips. So drink a proper
amount of water instead of using moisturizer and make sure your skin is
hydrating from the inside.
9. FOOD CRAVINGS
Intense food
cravings. People usually mistake their need for water with food cravings. When
you are in dehydration, your body sends false signals to your brain that you
are hungry but actually, you are thirsty. If you are craving more foods then
you should evaluate if you are dehydrated. For example, if you start craving
fruit or something that contains water, then most likely you just need some
water unless you think that you need more vitamins in your diet. Due to
glycogen production difficulty in the body, you must eat fruits like watermelon,
berries, which are not only sweet but also high in water. Next time when you
get a sudden food craving, drink a glass of water first before reaching for a
snack.
10. REDUCED ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Dehydration impairs
your exercise performance. You will notice that you are struggling in your
performance in the gym or sports activity. A loss of water through sweat equal
to 2 % of body weight causes a noticeable decrease in physical performance.
Dehydration makes your blood thick and this vicious blood is unable to carry
proper oxygen and nutrients in your body. With this fall in oxygen level, your
energy level and exercise performance will simply suffer. Dehydration may also
cause a decreased rate of glycogen use.
11. ACCELERATED HEART
BEAT
Dehydration has a
direct impact on heart rate and performance. The hydration causes a decrease in
plasma volume, making the blood more viscous. This affects blood circulation
and increases your heart rate. The heart rate changes an average of three beats
per minute for every 1% change in body weight resulting from dehydration.
Dehydration causes changes in the electrolytes present in your body, leading to
lower blood pressure. If you feel your heart beating faster, try sipping water
slowly to see if you feel better. If the problem persists, consult your doctor
immediately.
12. ALWAYS HUNGRY
Most people think
that thirst is the main symptom of dehydration. However, it is not quite true.
It only occurs when you are severely dehydrated. Because you are ignoring your
water intake, your body makes you think that you are hungry, since you also get
water from the foods you eat as well. Therefore, if you think you need more
food when you are hungry, it might be just your perception. In fact, you need
water more than food. Besides this, the digestion of food cannot work properly
without water even when you only have a meal.
13. LIGHTHEADED WHEN STANDING UP
Lightheaded when
standing up in most cases caused by anemia, but it may also be caused by
dehydration. If you get lightheaded when standing up, it means your blood
misses oxygen. Therefore, the blood cannot flow through your body parts,
especially your brain. When your brain is not getting enough water, you may feel
dizziness. Before you make any suggestion, you should drink water first and if
it is not going, well after a short time, then you can think that you may be
suffering from anemia. Anemia may happen due to fewer red blood cells and
hemoglobin in your blood.
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| Water to Prevent Dehydration |
How to prevent dehydration?
Therefore, it is always
important to pay attention to your body’s need for water in order to avoid those
signs and symptoms.
v Treatment of all
the disease symptoms due to dehydration should start with drinking plenty of
water daily. Water is very cheap and available everywhere. You do not have to
spend much money to drink more water. You must not wait until you feel very
thirsty because thirst is the symptom, that you already got dehydrated.
Dehydration actually has an impact that is more significant on your body.
v At least 75% of us
walk around dehydrated. You must carry a water bottle all the time, especially
in the hot season. When you are in the sun, we recommend one and a half liters
or quarts per hour.
v Do remember that
another form of liquid drinks like ice tea, soda, or orange juice is not going
to help you a lot in dehydration because it contains sugar; it has to be pure
water. Sugar inhibits your body to absorb the water you drink. Therefore, drink
plain water without sugar and sweetener.
v You should also
avoid eating dry, processed, and junk food. Do not drink the alcoholic beverage
if you feel dehydrated as alcohol acts as a dehydration agent and will make the
situation worse. Caffeine-containing like coffee, eat and soft drinks should be
avoided.
Well, most people
ignore these 13 dehydration symptoms. Dehydration is not a thing to ignore and
if you do not pay attention, it may even threaten your life in extreme cases. Cases
of dehydration turn fatal mostly in children and the elderly. I hope you enjoyed
this if you have something on your mind. Please share your thoughts and
experiences in the comments below.
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