Did you know that nearly two-thirds of your body weight is made up of water? Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body depends on it to function properly. That’s why staying hydrated is one of the simplest yet most important steps you can take for your health.
Water plays a vital role in flushing out toxins, supporting digestion, regulating temperature, protecting joints and tissues, and even keeping your skin healthy and youthful. It also helps manage calorie intake and maintain the right balance of body fluids.
When your body doesn’t get enough water, the effects can quickly show up in both your health and daily performance. Activities such as intense exercise, frequent urination, excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, or medical conditions like diabetes can cause your body to lose more fluids than usual. This leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
Without adequate hydration, even simple daily activities can feel more difficult. That’s why it’s crucial to replenish your body with water, hydrating fluids, and foods rich in water content.
The first step to preventing dehydration is knowing the signs. By recognizing them early, you can increase your water intake before it affects your health.
Below, we’ll explore the key warning signals that your body gives when it’s running low on water.
Sign – 1: (Headaches and Lightheadedness)
Headaches and lightheadedness will result due to a drop in the body’s hydration level which in turn leads to a reduced fluid in the brain. So, it results in nagging headaches or migraines. This dehydration reduces the flow of oxygen and blood supply to the brain.
So, whenever you suffer from a headache, then rather than going for a pill, drink plenty of water to get rid of headaches and lightheadedness.
Sign – 2: (Bad Breath and Dry Mouth)
We all know that bad breath is another sign caused by dehydration. The body produces less saliva which in turn results in the growth of bacteria in the mouth and causing bad or stinky breath. Drink plenty of water will lubricate the mouth and keeps the mucous membranes moist in the throat and helps for smooth speaking.
Dry mouth and bad breath can be caused due to the intake of less water. so, drink plenty of water regularly to get rid of this problem.
Sign – 3: (Sudden Hunger Pangs)
Whenever you have sudden food cravings or hungry pangs, you should drink 1 glass of water before eating a snack why because dehydration makes your body, sending some false signals to your brain that you’re feeling hungry but actually you’re thirsty.
Choose a salty treat to prevent the loss of water and electrolytes in the body like sports drink with sodium content or lemonade or watery fruits (like watermelon, berries or papaya).
Sign – 4: (Brain Fog (or) Poor Concentration)
Human brain is made of 90% water which definitely shows some signs when your body is dehydrated. It mostly affects the brain in making decisions, mood, and memory. Dehydration can also cause certain symptoms like brain fog, difficulty in thinking, focusing or communicating and forgetfulness.
Also, mildly dehydrated people performed worse on cognitive tasks and decision making along with adverse changes in their moods. Drink plenty of water to calm down your moods and to enhance your intellectual skills.
Sign – 5: (Constipation and Other Digestive Problems)
Water is essential to lubricate the digestive system and to keep this tract toxic free and flexible which in turn helps for proper bowel movement and thus prevent constipation. It also causes many digestive problems like indigestion, vomiting, heartburn, etc.
So, hydrate your body by drinking water or any other healthy fluids to prevent constipation and other digestive problems.
Sign – 6: (Fatigue and Lethargy)
Feeling fatigued and lethargic? It is also caused due to dehydration of the body, as lack of enough water will cause low blood pressure and thereby inadequate supply throughout the body. In this situation, the body has to work hard to ensure proper blood circulation to all body parts and breathing. So, it has to spend extra energy which makes your feel tired faster than usual.
So, it’s recommended to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water by keeping the water bottle handy to stay alert and energized.
Sign – 7: (Reduced Urination and Change in Color)
If you’re not using the restrooms for every few hours then also your body is lacking water. Drinking a healthy amount of water will result in regular urination of about 4 – 7 times a day, which in turn helps to body to flush out toxins through urination.
Also, it’s essential to keep an eye on the color of urine, as it indicates the hydration level. Clear or light-colored urine indicates well-hydrated body, dark yellow or amber-colored urine indicates concentrated urine.
So, drink plenty of water and also reduce the intake of drinking causing dehydration like caffeine, carbonated or alcohol drinks and enhance the intake of healthy fruit or vegetable juices, herbal teas, soups, water-rich fruits, etc.
Sign – 8: (Dry Skin and Lips)
Dry skin and chapped lips are another sign that indicates your body lacks in water. We all know that the skin is the largest organ of the body and it requires a plenty amount of water to remain good elasticity.
Hence the low water level results in less sweating which in turn makes the body unable to wash away the excess oil, dirt or impurities on the skin. This also results in increasing the risk of certain skin problems like acne, psoriasis, and eczema.
Applying a good moisturizer will prevent dryness on your skin from the outside but to hydrate your skin from inside, you have to drink plenty of water and other healthy fluids.
Sign – 9: (Accelerated Heartbeat)
Dehydration has a direct and negative impact on the heart rate and its performance, as it results in the reduction of plasma volume and makes the blood more viscous. Thus it affects blood circulation and raises your heart beat.
Dehydration also causes some changes in the electrolytes which further result in low blood pressure. Also, due to some extra stress on the body, heartbeat becomes faster and can result in anxiety and makes you feel panic.
So, sip water slowly whenever you feel the heart beating faster to get relief from the problem. If the symptoms persist, then immediately consult your doctor.
Sign – 10: (Painful Joints and Muscles)
We know that water helps to lubricate the joints and maintains healthy joints and cartilage (contains 80% water). If your body lacks in water then the bones start to grind against each other, causing pain in the joints.
For the joints to handle the sudden movements like running, falling awkwardly or jumping with no pain, your body should be well hydrated. However, the perspiration (depletion of fluids) will cause the muscles to contract which in turn results in cramps.
So, drink plenty of water and other healthy fluids to modulate the hormonal and metabolic responses to the resistance exercise.
Tips and Precautions:
- Start your day by drinking 1 large glass of water and again drink 1 full glass of water before each and every meal.
Drink at least 7 – 8 glasses of water daily along with other fluids. Remember that the quantity of water will depend on so many factors like the climate in which you live, your overall health and your physical activities. - If you’re busy in some work and forget to drink water, then it’s preferred to set a reminder to drink a glass of water a few times daily.
- Always carry your own water bottle with you to wherever you’re going. Not only water, start consuming water – rich fruits or vegetables in your daily diet.
- It’s always suggested to avoid certain drinks that contain caffeine, alcohol, carbonated beverages and energy drinks.
Increase your intake of water and other fluids when you’re suffering from diarrhea, cold, cough, vomiting, fever or any other health problem to get rid of dehydration. - If you’re suffering from certain symptoms like dizziness, extreme thirst, not passing your urine for more than 8 hours, sudden raise in your heartbeat or weak pulse then immediately consult your doctor for proper diagnose and treatment.
Drink adequate amount of water and stay healthy. Did you experience any of these warning signs of your body lacking in water? Then share it with us.
