10 Signs You’re Not Having Enough Water

How important is drinking water for us? Some people understand how vital water turns out to be for their bodies, but the reality is that most of us might take it for granted. Are we putting our lives at risk by overseeing this life-supporting fluid? We have to remember that water is the elixir of life, and having the adequate amount a day is vital to our health. An alarming fact is that most times we don’t realize the importance of being hydrated until our health starts to compromise.

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Did you know this? Two-thirds (66.7%) of the human body is made up of water. So, skipping it from your diet would have adverse effects and consequences on your health. Therefore, here you have 10 disturbing signs to alert you that you’re probably not having enough water.

1. Spoilt concentration
   Adisrupted blood flow caused by a continuous dehydration strips your brain of the oxygen and everything it needs to perform at its best capacity. Consequently, you could notice that your memory and concentration become severely impaired. The lack of water affects your brain far earlier than the rest of the body, as the brain relies on a stable supply of oxygen and nutrients.
    
2. Frequent headaches
   Deprivations of oxygen and increases in blood pressure are the perfect prescription for constantheadaches. In case that you notice that you have them more often, try drinking more water. Even the loss of 1-2% of body weight – comparing to 500 ml to 2lts – can bring on headache symptoms. Water deprivation headaches are usually located on your temples and front, sometimes accompanied by dizziness and lack of concentration.
    
3. Digestive problems
   In order to correctly process the foods you consume, your intestines need a stable supply of water. Without suitable fluids, digestion could slow down bringing on constipation, gas, bloating, and even the passing of apparently undigested food. Everybody knows that fiber is essential to the digestive process, but without sufficient water, it can quickly lead to constipation.
    
4. Steadfast lousy breath
   Xerostomia, more often known as “dry mouth,” is the result of a decrease in saliva production because of dehydration or other factors (like tobacco use or medications). Saliva is required for regulating the population of microorganisms in your mouth. On the other hand, dehydration and the lack of saliva allow bacteria to flourish unchecked around your teeth, gums, and tongue. Adequate glasses of water help to maintain saliva flow, which washes away the ‘mean bacteria’ that cause unpleasant breath.
    
5. Cholesterol imbalance
   Dehydration warns your body to enhance its cholesterol production in order to thicken cellular walls and keep the fluid contained in them. This defensive process brings as a result that blood-cholesterol levels also increase and become imbalanced. People know the risks of high cholesterol, which can increase your chance of life-threatening problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
    
6. Chronic fatigue
   Blood and other fluids consist mainly of water. Your blood becomes thicker when you get dehydrated, and your heart has to expend more energy than usual to maintain oxygen and nutrients moving throughout the circulatory system. Whether you feel tired every day and it doesn’t seem to be a cause, the solution could be as simple as drinking water. An interesting fact is that The Natural Hydration Council says one in 10 cases of tiredness is attributed to dehydration.

7. Inability to lose weight
   Dehydration saps your energy, impairs digestion and causes unhealthy cravings more often, making it more difficult if you are trying to lose weight. Moreover, because your body can´t break down fat stores without appropriate hydration, you probably won’t be getting the results of your workout as you want to, even if you force yourself to exercise.
    
8. Foul body odor
   Water facilitates the transport of waste materials out of your body. When you’re habitually dehydrated, said waste materials don’t necessarily make it out, but instead get stored in cells for future removal. As time passes by, all of that leftover gunk could change your body chemistry for the worse. Also, damaged and dry skin caused by dehydration creates a perfect environment for odor-causing bacteria to kick back, relax and reproduce like little rabbits.
    
9. Premature aging
   Skin will lose its elasticity if you don’t have an appropriate hydration. Also, due to hampered blood flow, a long-term deprivation of water reduces the uptake of nutrients by your skin cells. They need these nutrients to regenerate, and this is why living in a constant state of dehydration accelerates the formation of wrinkles, and other signs of aging.
    
10. Urinary tract infections
    For the proper function of your urinary tract, a good supply of water is crucial. When you get dehydrated, your bladder and kidneys try to spare as much water as possible. Sadly, if you don’t have an adequate and semi-constant stream of fresh urine to flush them out, bacteria will have everything more comfortable, more time to replicate inside, and may even overpopulate the cozy, warm environment inside your bladder and urethra. Now, one of the most visible signs that you’re at risk isyour urine’s color. If your flux is consistently darker than a pale shade of yellow, you have to increase your water intake, asap!

After analyzing just these 10 signs, the big question is: what can we do? For most of us, it is advised to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Water requirement is not the same for everybody, and it depends on your size and physical activity, but a good sign you are having enough water is your urine color, as we described earlier. Remember that your health depends entirely on you. Don’t take it for granted, and please, don’t wait until you are suffering to do what your body needs to be healthy. If you take action now, you won’t regret it later.

References:

1. Thomas, D. R., Cote, T. R., Lawhorne, L., Levenson, S. A., Rubenstein, L. Z., Smith, D. A., ... & Council, D. (2008). Understanding clinical dehydration and its treatment. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 9(5), 292-301.
    
2. Hurwitz, B. E., Coryell, V. T., Parker, M., Martin, P., LaPerriere, A., Klimas, N. G., ... &Bilsker, M. S. (2009). Chronic fatigue syndrome: illness severity, sedentary lifestyle, blood volume and evidence of diminished cardiac function. Clinical Science, 118(2), 125-135.