5 Signs You Are Not Drinking Enough Water
Think about it, what is your average daily consumption of water? Hectic and busy work schedule has forced us to lead a very dry life. Many people don’t touch a glass of water until they are thirsty but intense thirst is not a very reliable and early sign of dehydration. In fact, by the time you are thirsty, your body may already be dehydrated. Following are the signs you may experience when your body is deprived of water.
- Dark yellow colour of urine: If your urine is dark yellow, your body is telling you it’s lacking proper hydration. Water helps your Kidneys to flush out toxins and eliminate waste. When concentration of water is less in your body, kidneys excrete a higher concentration of waste products in the urine, including dead blood cells, toxins and urea resulting in darker urine. So to know if you are taking an adequate amount of H2O, take the urine test.
- Bad breath: Foul odor from mouth can be really embarrassing. One of the main causes of bad breath is dry mouth. Dehydration prevents your body from producing enough saliva to fight the overgrowth of bacteria causing bad odour. So next time you feel conscious about your breath, take a sip of cool water.
- Dry Skin: Water not only detoxifies our body but also nourishes it. Dehydration can lead to irritated, inflamed, itching and sensitive skin. During winter months, intake of water is less which results in shriveled looking skin. Water is a natural moisturizer that hydrates your cells and keeps your skin supple. Therefore, you must make sure you are drinking enough water despite the weather.
- Muscle cramps and joint pain: Water helps in maintaining balance of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium in our body. Changes in level of these electrolytes may result in painful muscle cramps. Water is a major component of synovial fluid which acts as a lubricant to joints. When the body doesn’t receive enough water, the synovial fluid dries up and causes friction between two bones and damages cartilage cells leading to joint pain.
- Fatigue and low energy level: When your body is dehydrated, it borrows water from your blood which results in low volume of blood. Due to this, the heart has to work harder to pump oxygen and nutrients to the body. This results in rapid consumption of ATP and leaves you drained. So always keep a bottle of water handy to avoid sleepiness and outright fatigue.
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Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information.