It's Important to Keep Your Body Hydrated
Did you know over half of our bodies are made up of water? It’s important to drink enough water to stay hydrated throughout the day. Being dehydrated doesn’t just feel uncomfortable, it can cause problems like urinary tract infections, kidney stones and in some cases, even kidney failure. This is why you should be aware of the common signs and even more unusual signs of dehydration.
Uncommon or Unusual Dehydration Symptoms
Below you will find a list of eight warning signs that you are dehydrated.
1. Bad Breath
When your mouth dries out because of dehydration, you are preventing your mouth from staying clean due to a lack of saliva. This means that food trapped in there can start to produce more bacteria which in turn causes bad breath. You can fix this problem by drinking more water.
2. Muscle Cramping
How can your muscle cramping be related to dehydration? Well, the muscles in your body are kept lubricated by different fluids. However, if you’re dehydrated your body may not be able to keep producing those fluids. This means that your muscles can have problems functioning properly and you can experience muscle cramping.
3. Dry Flushed Skin
Your skin relies on not only outside moisture to keep it elastic and moist but also on fluids in your body to look nice. If you’re dehydrated it can become dry, cracked, flaky and even too firm. A good way to tell if you’re dehydrated is to pinch the skin on your forearm. Healthy hydrated skin should immediately bounce back to its resting spot. If you’re dehydrated it will slowly move back.
4. Fever and Chills
A fever and chills paired with other symptoms of dehydration are an indication that you are severely dehydrated. If you experience this warning sign along with other indicators, you may not be able to replenish your fluids on your own. If you’re experiencing a fever and chills and think you’re also dehydrated, you should visit the Emergency Room immediately. On the flip side, a fever can also cause dehydration so it is important to drink lots of fluids if you have a fever.
5. Constipation
When you aren’t getting enough water, your body can’t pass stool properly. This means that you may not pass stool for a few days and when you do it is hard and difficult to pass. Without enough water, your large intestine will absorb too much fluid from your body’s food waste to try and rehydrate leading to constipation.
6. Headaches or Migraines
Headaches related to dehydration are not entirely understood. However, scientists do believe that it is due to the lack of fluid causing the brain to become dehydrated. This dehydration may cause the brain to tighten and trigger pain sensors in the area. That pain can cause a headache or migraine. If you drink water and notice your headache is improving it is likely due to dehydration.
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7. Itchy Skin
Are you scratching yourself more than usual? It sounds odd, but having itchy skin can be a sign of dehydration. A loss of water results in your skin cells shrinking and becoming dry, which causes itchiness and flaky skin.
8. Feeling Irritable
In a grumpy mood? Being dehydrated can affect your brain, and cause irritability, feelings of anxiety and mental fog. You may also start to feel tired, which can affect your mood. Staying hydrated is good for your physical and mental health.
Common Dehydration Symptoms
There are some early warning signs of dehydration. They are:
- A dry mouth.
- Tiredness.
- Feeling thirsty and light-headed.
- Urinating less frequently.
- Dark-colored and smelly urine.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you may be dehydrated. In this case, you should make sure you drink plenty of fluids, the best option is simple water. You should also try to take frequent sips instead of chugging the fluids. Chugging fluid can cause you to vomit which could make your situation worse.
Tips for Staying Hydrated
To avoid becoming dehydrated and experiencing some of these unpleasant signs is easy, just simply drink more water. You don’t need to be going out and buying beverages; you can drink the tap water at your house.
If you’re not a fan of the taste of tap water, you can help that by purchasing a Brita water filter. Brita offers water filter pitchers and dispensers, water bottles and even faucet mounts. You can check out their products here.
On the other hand, if you don’t have the option of drinking your tap water, there are beverage delivery services that you can subscribe to like Saratoga Water or Ready Refresh. They deliver different drinks and even offer water coolers and filtration systems. If you want to switch things up, Saratoga Water delivers both still and sparking water.
When to See a Doctor
According to the Cleveland Clinic, if you think you are severely dehydrated you should see a doctor. They state severe symptoms include:
- A temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
- Muscle twitching.
- Red, hot, dry skin.
- Nausea.
- Rapid pulse.
- Seizures.
- Lack of sweating.
- Confusion, altered mental state and slurred speech.
- Dizziness.
- Fainting, loss of consciousness.
- Hallucinations.
Remember, all of these can be avoided if you remember to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated!