13 signs you’re not drinking enough water
What happens if one does not drink enough water? Can you get a uti from not drinking enough water? Can you get a headache from not drinking enough water? Not drinking enough water during pregnancy? In this article, you will learn 13 symptoms of not drinking enough water. Side effects of not drinking enough water!
There’s not much in this world more refreshing than a tall, ice-cold glass of water. We don’t think there’s anyone alive that can deny that sometimes, a simple glass of water can be more satisfying than a cup of coffee or a can of soda.
Despite this, too many of us don’t drink enough water on a daily basis. By depriving ourselves of the world’s most natural resource, we are continuously damaging our bodies.
If you experience any of the following, you can improve your situation by starting with a glass of H2O.
1. Your skin is dry
Your skin is your body’s largest organ, so of course it needs to stay hydrated. In fact, dry skin is one of the earliest signs of full-on dehydration, which can lead to many larger problems. Lack of water means lack of sweat, which leads to a body’s inability to wash away excess dirt and oil accumulated throughout the day. If you want to stave off breakouts, your first recourse should be to drink more water.
2. You feel fatigued and lethargic
As we just mentioned, when a body is dehydrated, it “borrows” water from your blood. Lack of properly hydrated blood leads to lack of oxygen being brought throughout the body. Of course, the lack of oxygen leads to sleepiness and outright fatigue. Lack of stamina means you start to experience that 2pm crash earlier and earlier in your day, and remember, coffee won’t help in the long run.
3. You experience premature aging
The amount of water our bodies retain naturally decreases as we age. Obviously, what this means is that, as we get older, we should consciously increase our water intake. While premature aging is more evident on the outside, the damage it does to our insides will ultimately be felt over time. To decrease the risk of running your body raw, it’s important to continue to drink water throughout your lifetime.
4. You experience constipation
Staying hydrated helps lubricate the digestive system. During the process of dehydration, the colon uses up the water that would have been used by the intestines in the next step of the digestive process.
5. You stay sick longer
Drinking water allows your body to continuously flush out toxins. Your organs work to filter certain waste products like a machine, but if you don’t fuel the machine with water, it cannot work properly. What ends up happening in a dehydrated body is organs start to pull water from stored areas like your blood, which leads to a whole new set of problems.
6. Constantly thirsty
First, let’s go over the telltale sign of dehydration, feeling thirsty. You might even feel overly thirsty that doesn’t seem to go away with a simple sip or gulp of water. Your body is trying to tell you that it has been deprived of an adequate amount of water for some time now, and you should quench this thirst as soon as possible.
7. Persistent bad breath
By being properly hydrated, you help your salivary glands produce more saliva which in turn helps rinse away bacteria from your mouth. When you become dehydrated, saliva production is limited, which helps bacteria to grow in your gums and in between your teeth. This can lead to chronic bad breath.
8. Reduced urination/dark urine
Your kidneys need water to properly function and flush out the toxins present in your system. Without sufficient water intake, your kidneys will retain more water which will lead to decreased urination. Not only that, but the next time you urinate, it will contain a concentrated amount of toxins which will make it darker in colour and produce a stronger odour.
9. Dry mouth and chapped lips
All of us know that awful sensation when the inside of the mouth turns sticky and dry. However, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it is a result of dehydration or improper water intake. The same goes for dry chapped lips that get easily cracked. These are often early signs of dehydration, which can be resolved by increasing the daily water intake.
10. Dry eyes
Without water, your tear ducts will begin to dry up and won’t be able to moisten your eyes. As a result, your eyes will become irritated and bloodshot red. Having dry eyes isn’t a pleasant feeling, and can be easily avoided if you frequently drink the recommended amount of water.
11. Nausea and dizziness
Generally, mild dehydration will lead to increased blood pressure. But sometimes, when you are seriously dehydrated, your blood volume will decrease, which can cause a significant drop in blood pressure. Now, as your blood pressure drops, your organs, specifically your brain, won’t receive adequate oxygen which can make you feel dizzy and light-headed and sometimes even nauseous.
12. Headache
Dehydration induced headaches are more common in athletes. Intense activity leads to excessive sweating which causes dehydration. As discussed earlier, this makes your blood thicker, which, in turn, makes it difficult to carry as much oxygen. This means your brain won’t receive enough oxygen, which can lead to a headache.
13. Body odour
When you sweat, the bacteria on your skin starts breaking down the sweat molecules, which leads to body odour. Now, if you drink less water, then your body will need to flush out more toxins through your sweat. The bacteria will then interact with the toxins, leading to a strong unpleasant odour.
Conclusion
Did you know that it takes around 3 days for a person to die from dehydration? There is no denying the fact that water is crucial for our health. And staying properly hydrated has many benefits and might even boost productivity.
Make sure you drink clean water that has been properly treated and uncontaminated. The most efficient and effective method would be to remove all the contaminants and pathogens from the water so that you and your family can stay healthy and hydrated.