Our body composition has almost 60% water. Water is necessary for optimum energy levels, good brain function, good digestion and transportation of nutrients, timely waste elimination, maintenance of body temperature and more. Our body uses up its water every day to perform all these processes and to keep us healthy.
But when our body loses more water than it can replace, it causes dehydration and in some cases, it can become very severe as well. This is why we need to be mindful of maintaining the water balance in our body and treat our body well.
Let us look at the causes and symptoms of dehydration to understand how it affects overall health and find ways to keep ourselves well-hydrated every day.
HOW DOES THE BODY LOSE WATER?
Our body loses water through sweating and urination as a result of various internal body functions as well as through exercises and physical activities.
- Sweating is the way by which our body cools itself back to optimum temperature. When we sweat, water and salts are released from the body which reduces body temperature, hydrates the skin and maintains a balance of electrolytes in the body.
- Urination is the body’s way of releasing toxins and correcting any imbalances. And a good amount of water is required to maintain urination as well.
Apart from these two usual functions, water is also lost due to various illnesses. And it is necessary to replace the water lost from any and all of these factors.
SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION
The most common signs / symptoms of dehydration are:
- Increased thirst
- Dry mouth and bad breath
- Dry skin
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Headaches and muscle cramps
- Constipation or decreased urination
- Water retention and bloating
More severe dehydration symptoms like low blood pressure, sunken eyes, dark urine etc., needs to be treated at a hospital. But mild dehydration symptoms are easily managed by hydrating yourself well.
TACKLING DEHYDRATION
Rehydrating with water is the obvious solution to dehydration. But oftentimes, we are on-the-go or we forget until we start to feel the symptoms of dehydration. So, here are some habits that can be cultivated to enforce rehydration, intuitively:
- Train your brain to drink water right after you wake up, even before you brush your teeth. This helps to activate the body’s metabolism quicker and flushes out germs that build up in the body during sleep.
- During travel, at home or at the workplace, keep a filled water bottle beside you and make sure the bottle has bright, colorful designs that appeal to you. Since our eyes tend to notice bright colors even if they are at the edge of our vision, this can help you notice your bottle of water to hydrate yourself every now and then.
- Also, remember to drink sufficient water before and after workouts for the body to function well during workouts and recharge effectively after workouts.
Always drink sufficient water and maintain your water balance in the body.
So, are you drinking enough water?
