Here Are 9 Signs Of Dehydration That Will Show That You’re Not Drinking Enough Water

Often, we don’t know that there’s something wrong until someone else spells it out for us. We could easily spend weeks suffering in silence and ignoring various aches and pains, dismissing it all as fatigue or stress, and yet all it takes is an informed opinion on the origin of our symptoms to give a name to our strife. That’s certainly the deal when it comes to hydration. Our bodies are over 60 percent water; our brain nearly 85%. The human body needs a constant supply of life-giving H20 to function properly. Almost every respiratory process in the human body is affected by how much water we consume. You don’t get enough then you don’t feel good, it’s as simple as that.

If you’ve been feeling sick or exhausted, or any number of issues, then it could be something as simple as a lack of hydration, and our constant drinking of alternative beverages, such as sodas or coffee, only serve to exacerbate the issue. A CBS report claims that up to 75 percent of the American population fall short of the 10 daily cups prescribed by the Institute of Medicine – which, in medical terms, means that most people in the United States are functioning in a chronic state of dehydration. But if you scroll down and take a peek at the rest of our article, you’ll see that chronic dehydration has a few tell-tale symptoms.

1. Headaches
When you’re dehydrated your brain tissue loses water causing your brain to shrink and pull away from the skull. This triggers the pain receptors surrounding the brain, giving you a headache. A study by the Journal of nutrition found that even 1.36% dehydration could potentially cause a moderate headache.

2. Constipation
Constipation might be a subject that raises schoolboy giggles, but it’s no laughing matter. When you’re digesting food, at some point it has to pass through your intestinal tract. However if you’re dehydrated then the large intestine soaks up water from your food waste instead, and is unable to pass it through your body properly. This study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition highlights the vital importance of hydration in the digestive system.

3. Dark coloured urine
You can keep tabs on your hydration level by monitoring the colour of your urine. Your urine should be relatively clear in colour, and if it’s darker then you’re severely dehydrated. Lighter coloured urine is more dilute, whereas darker urine contains less fluid.

4. You have a dry mouth
This one seems a little obvious, but when you’re dehydrated your body slows down production of saliva. Human saliva has antibacterial properties, as well as serving to neutralise any acidic sugars that enter the mouth. A persistent dry mouth and lack of saliva can cause serious oral health issues further down the line.

5. Cramps
Dehydration can lead to an imbalance of important minerals and electrolytes in our body, such a sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. Electrolytes help conduct nerve impulses throughout your body, which allow your muscles to contract. When your body loses enough electrolytes the nerve impulses from your brain to your muscles decrease in frequency. This makes your muscles cramp.

6. Dizziness
Our blood is composed of almost 95% water, so when we are dehydrated our blood volume decreases. Sometimes a side effect of this is feeling dizzy when you stand up. According to Registered Dietitian, Lisa Nelson, this is due to a lowering of the body’s blood pressure. Drinking water relieves this and allows you to regain balance.

7. You always feel hungry even though you’ve eaten
If you feel like gorging yourself with food 24/7, then you might well be dehydrated instead of hungry. This happens due to confusion in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates both appetite and thirst, when the body is dehydrated. Alissa Rumsey, spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, spoke to Healthmagazineand noted, “Mild dehydration is often masked as feelings of hunger, when really your body just needs fluids.“

8. Dry skin
When your body is dehydrated your skin will try to make up for the missing water by producing more natural oils. These oils can clog in the pores and this will cause breakouts of spots, irritation and dry patches. Skin can even feel oily and dry at the same time. Drinking plenty of water means your body can moisturise itself.

9. Heart palpitations
Experiencing heart palpitations can be a little scary, and if you’ve never had them before then you might assume that you were on the verge of a cardiac arrest. Yet one of the main triggers is actually a combination of dehydration mixed with too much caffeine. Ditching the coffee in favour of plain water can prevent this.

So there you have it – if you’re experiencing any of these annoying symptoms, then the answer to all your woes could be as simple as turning on the tap and gulping down some water.


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