Knowing if you’re dehydrated is essential. Your body is made up of about 70% water! But in order not to get dehydrated many health experts advise people to stay hydrated throughout the day. Sometimes, even if you don’t feel thirsty, there are other signs that you are, in fact, dehydrated. Let’s take a look at what they are.
Dry mouth
Firstly, one of the signs of dehydration is dry mouth. Not only your tongue feels fuzzy or sticky, but you may find it hard to swallow. This is especially true if you live someplace dry, like Colorado or Arizona. Make sure to carry around water with you at all times if this is the case, so you can hydrate no matter where you are.
Headache
When you’re not getting enough water, your brain tissue shrinks and your blood pressure drops. Low oxygen and sugar levels can make matters worse. The ensuing headache is caused by receptors around the brain alerting you that something is amiss. You’ll know for sure that the headache was caused by dehydration when you drink some water, because the pain will magically disappear as soon as you take few sips.
Light-headedness
In addition to headaches, low blood pressure from dehydration can make you feel light-headed or dizzy. This is why if you are outside, sweating under the sun, you might feel like you’re going to faint. In this particular case, you’ll want to drink more than just water. Have an electrolyte drink to regain some of the salts that are lost in your sweat.
Dark yellow urine
Urine should be light yellow, like the colour of lemonade. If your urine is dark yellow and you don’t have any underlying health issues, you’re probably dehydrated. Sometimes, we forget to drink water because we’re too busy working. Keep a bottle next to your desk so that you remember to take a break during the workday.
Fatigue
When your body is missing key nutrients, it wants you to slow down and stop moving. If you’re dehydrated, your body wants to keep whatever water reserves it has, making you feel tired. A glass of water should stimulate your body and your brain right away.
Immune System
Dehydration lowers the volume of fluids (blood and Lymphatic) in the body that is vital for healthy immune system. When there is inflammation in the body dehydration can be detrimental to your immune system and can also be instrumental in the on set of an autoimmune condition.
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