Health Care

By Janet Martin

Many people are actually suffering from mild dehydration without really realizing it. Since the symptoms of mild dehydration are subtle, people really don't realize that they are not drinking enough water until it is too late.

You need to understand the importance of water or fluids in maintaining your health. You can survive without food for weeks, but you can not stay alive without water for a few days. The human body is composed of about 70% water, but you are losing a substantial amount of water everyday through your urine, stool, and perspiration. Thus, you need to replenish the lost fluids by drinking juice, water or even eating soup, fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water.

Symptoms Of Dehydration

As mentioned earlier, the signs of mild dehydration are subtle. You might probably think that the problems you are experiencing have nothing to do with dehydration. Headaches, changes in your moods, slow movement and lethargy are just some of the early signs of this condition. Some people also report dry nasal passages, tiredness, confusion, and even cracked lips.

You should be alarmed if your urine is already dark and you feel weak all over your body. Some patients even complain of hallucinations. If you still do nothing about your problem, soon your urination will completely stop and eventually, your kidneys will start to fail. Dehydration is a serious condition so you should not disregard the symptoms. Worst case scenario for you is death.

Causes Of Dehydration

Not drinking enough water is not really the only cause of dehydration. Sometimes, when the weather is hot, you sweat more so you lose water through perspiration. When you have fever or you exercise regularly, you may also want to drink a little more.

The elderly are also more prone to dehydration because the part of their brain that indicates thirst may not already function that well. As a result, old individuals tend to forget to drink. Furthermore, seniors usually take maintenance medication, such as hypertension drugs, that may be diuretic. So aside from not drinking lots of water, they also urinate a lot more.

Lastly, certain conditions, such as diarrhea or cholera, can also contribute to dehydration. If you have loose bowel movement and you vomit a lot, you are also losing a lot of water.

Effects Of Mild Dehydration

Now that you know the importance of water, you should be aware of the long-term effects of chronic mild dehydration. First, your salivary gland functions will start to diminish. And this will make you feel parched and thirsty. Next, you may also find that you are sluggish or slow and your mental abilities start to diminish. You may also be at an increased risk of developing illnesses such as colon and breast cancer, constipation and kidney stones, and urinary tract infection. You may also suffer from water retention or edema because your body will try to hold on to more water inside in an attempt to make sure that your bodily functions will continue to work without a hitch.

However, if your edema or water retention is not due to dehydration but rather because of hormonal imbalance experienced during menopause or monthly menses, then you may also take herbal supplements like Expelis to eliminate excess water inside your body. Of course, you still have to make sure that you are drinking more water.

For more information, visit http://www.expelis.com/

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

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