Signs you are not drinking enough water

How long can a man survive without drinking water? Not long I believe, because every system in the human body requires water to function properly. The muscles, kidneys, blood lungs and your brain, etc, are all made up of some percentage of water. Water helps the body to flush out waste and toxins in order for the body to transport nutrients. We lose water when we breathe, and daily through urine and sweat. When water level drops beyond the optimal, you become mildly dehydrated, your energy level decreases and your metabolism slows.

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To stay hydrated, you should replenish your fluids throughout the day. Anytime you feel dehydrated, it is advisable to drink water that is close to room temperature because ice water may feel refreshing, but it will sit in your stomach until it warms up. So, when you need to rehydrate in a hurry, go with fluids that are close to room temperature.

For you to know how much liquid you need every day, it is important to identify the signs that you may be approaching dehydration.

Dark Yellow Urine – The first sign that you are not drinking enough water is when your urine becomes dark yellow. In the real sense, urine should be light yellow in colour and so, when a person does not drink enough water, it makes the kidney to excrete a higher concentration of waste products in the urine, this higher excretion will result to dark urine. You may also notice darker urine when you consume some medications; if you notice a temporary change in your urine colour, what you should do first is to consider if you have consumed something that could change the colour of your urine. After that, the next thing is to increase your water intake and observe if your urine colour changes to normal. After all this observation and your urine still stays dark for a long period of time, then it could be a sign of more serious health concerns; you should see the doctor for proper medical check.

You Get Exhausted Easily – Another sign that you are dehydrated is that you start feeling exhausted without doing anything serious; this will cause your metabolism to slow, your body begins to conserve its energy, leaving you feeling so tired. Mild dehydration also reduces the volume of blood in your body, forcing your heart to work harder to pump oxygen and nutrients to all of your cells. When your heart is working less efficiently, you may feel exhausted even though you have not engaged yourself in any vigorous action.

Feeling Hungry – The signals your brain sends when you need calories and when you need fluids originate in the same place and this can be mistaken for each other. So anytime you feel hungry, don’t rush for food immediately, it is advice that you drink water and wait for like 10 to 20 minutes; after 10 to 20 minutes and you still feel hungry then you can go ahead and eat.

Bad Breath – Your saliva produces antibacterial properties which prevent nasty microbes that are the source of bad breath from setting up residence in your mouth. Dehydration reduces the volume of saliva you produce often resulting in unpleasant odours in your mouth.

Constipation – Dehydration is one of the most common causes of constipation and constipation can often be resolved by increasing water intake. If you are not fully hydrated, your body will try to absorb water from wherever it can. Naturally, lack of water will lead to harder stools that are difficult to pass. To prevent this, ensure you drink adequate amount of water and if you are the type that drink enough water every day and you still face the problem of constipation, then you should consider other causes of constipation: See a doctor!

By: Mercy Kukah