Are You Drinking Enough Water? 7 Warning Signs of Dehydration

When it comes to having a healthy body, staying hydrated is vital for numerous reasons. Our body quickly warns us when we don't get enough water by showing symptoms of dehydration.

Water is a crucial substance our body needs to perform correctly. Many of us feel off when we don't get enough of it.

Insufficient water intake is no joke, and if we continue ignoring it, this may lead to more serious health issues in the long run. To nip it in the bud, read on and discover the multiple warning signs of dehydration. 

7 Symptoms of Dehydration

1. Feeling Tired

Exhaustion and fatigue can have many causes, from exerting too much energy in exercise to experiencing too much stress from work.

Many people might dismiss it as something that rest can fix. But did you know this can be a warning sign of not having enough water in the body? 

Because water is crucial in most aspects of how our body functions. If you drink too little water, you might feel more tired than usual.

Additionally, you might get more tired easily when you exert much effort while dehydrated. According to a study, exercising while dehydrated can lead to increased fatigue perception and less exercise endurance.

2. Having Dark-Colored Urine in Small Quantities

Many people might already know this, but one of the easiest ways to tell that you're dehydrated is by looking at your pee.

When you're dehydrated, your urine comes out in a darker color and small quantities. This happens because our bodies are trying to conserve water when we don't get enough of it.

They use more water in important bodily functions instead of adding it to urine. This results in your pee becoming more concentrated with bodily wastes instead of water, which is darker. 

The ideal color of our urine should be pale yellow. 

3. Feeling Lightheaded and Dizzy

Another dehydration symptom to look out for is lightheadedness or dizziness. A person, especially an older person, may experience this when they suddenly stand or sit up. In more severe cases, it can even cause you to faint.

A low amount of water in the body may lead to lower blood volume. As such, it can result in low blood pressure, which makes people feel dizzy or lightheaded. 

4. Dry, Inelastic Skin

Water intake should be part of your beauty regimen if you want healthy, glowing skin. One of the signs of dehydration is having parched, inelastic skin. 

You can quickly tell if your skin is dry and inelastic from dehydration. When you pinch a portion of it, your skin should soon return to how it initially looked. If you're dehydrated, this becomes slower, and it's a sign that you need to drink more water.

5. Reduced Concentration

Being dehydrated can manifest in reducing one's ability to concentrate and shifting one's mental state.

There's a study showing how dehydration can impair short-term memory and mood. The study revealed an increase in error rates on tests and a negative impact on attention, memory, and mood among respondents who didn't drink water for 36 hours. 

Similar results have been found in other studies, showing the negative impact of dehydration on one's mood and cognitive function. 

More severe cases of dehydration can lead to worse alterations to one's cognitive state and may lead to confusion and anger.

 

6. Heart Palpitations

An insufficient intake of fluids may negatively affect our overall health. This includes our heart's health.

Cardiac symptoms are one of many warning signs that your body is dehydrated. This includes heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat.

Apart from this feeling, dehydration can also negatively impact heart and blood vessels, which may lead to an impairment in the body's blood pressure regulation. 

Not drinking enough water may also hinder the heart function of those doing intense exercise by lowering cardiac output and reducing the amount of blood pumped out of the heart's left ventricle. 

7. Headaches

Having frequent headaches is another warning sign of dehydration. 

Although headaches are strongly linked to dehydration, experts remain unsure how it causes headaches. There are several theories about this, though.

One theory is that the depletion of fluids in the body may cause the brain's blood channels to stretch, causing headaches.

However, many researchers believe multiple possible mechanisms are in place for dehydration-related headaches. They also say that some people may experience such headaches more than others. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Water Should I Drink in a Day?

You may have heard of the old belief that a person should drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. This is not entirely accurate.

The healthy and sufficient amount of water you should drink may depend on your body's mass, the environment, and how active you are. 

According to the U.S. NASEM, men should drink around 15.5 cups of fluids daily, while women should take 11.5 cups daily.

How Do I Treat Dehydration?

You can treat dehydration by replacing the fluids and electrolytes that you might be lacking. Drink enough water daily, and be mindful of replacing the electrolytes you might've lost.

Sports drinks, such as Xendurance®'s Hydro and Hydro Stix, can help significantly replenish your electrolytes, especially if you're doing a lot of strenuous exercises. 

Hydration is Key

Our body is mainly made up of water, making it crucial for our health. We can't survive without water, and our bodies are greatly impaired when we don't take enough of it daily.

Many people may ignore and shrug off dehydration, but it deserves our attention. While dehydration symptoms are the short-term result of insufficient water intake, a regular occurrence may lead to worse long-term effects.

Luckily, remedying dehydration is not complicated. Simply being mindful of your fluid intake and electrolyte replenishment can go a long way. Start hydrating for a healthy and sound body!