Your body needs water to maintain healthy organs, energy levels and moods. Drinking more water is an easy way to prevent dehydration and improve your health. Water also provides electrolytes that help balance out acids in your body, produced by foods high in sugar or salt.
However, most people do not consume enough water. While the requirement varies from person to person, experts recommend drinking around 15.5 cups (or 3.7 litres) of fluids a day for men and 11.5 cups (or 2.7 litres) for women.
Not getting enough fluids for a prolonged period can lead to chronic dehydration. This is a condition that causes a person to lose a lot of fluids. Chronic dehydration can lead to a number of problems including headaches, dizziness, muscle aches, nausea and lethargy. A person with a dehydrated nervous system will be more susceptible to many diseases including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.
Dehydration can manifest itself in numerous ways. Watch out for these signs of chronic dehydration in your body.
BAD BREATH
The salivary glands produce several antibacterial agents when functioning well. But dehydration prevents saliva production causing bacterial overgrowth, bad breath and dryness in the mouth.
DULL SKIN
You might have heard people recommend water for better skin and there is some truth to that. Lack of fluids in the body leads to loss of skin elasticity and moisture which are the root cause of dryness or redness in the skin.
SHOOTING HEADACHES
Even the brain can temporarily contract or shrink from fluid loss which makes the brain pull away from the skull resulting in painful headaches. This can feel like a dull headache or an intense migraine but there is generally no facial pain.
HUNGER PANGS
Confusing the brain, dehydration can sometimes mask itself in the form of hunger pangs. This makes you crave snacks when your body in fact just needs more fluids. When in doubt, reach for some water-rich foods.
Also Read: Eat these water-rich foods to keep dehydration at bay