In recent years studies have shown that just 1 in 10 people in the UK drink enough water to be considered moderately hydrated. That means that a staggering 90% of people in the country are dehydrated. This means that most of us are showing, in some capacity, the symptoms of being dehydrated.
While most of us probably do not drink enough fluids and therefore suffer from some form of mild dehydration, it is generally not to worry about. It’s the more severe cases that are consistently showing visible signs of dehydration that you should be aware of.
Experts recommend that a male’s fluid intake should be around 3.7 litres a day, whilst females should drink around 2.7 litres. However, drinking water and plenty of fluids is easier said than done in the midst of a busy schedule. This neglect of staying on top of water intake can leave individuals at risk of dehydration.
Why Is It So Important To Stay Hydrated?
As humans, we need water to be able to survive. Every function within the body, whether it be in your cells, tissues, or organs, needs water to be able to function correctly. Therefore, making sure that you give your body enough fluids and more specifically water plays a huge role in your overall health and wellbeing.
Your water intake and hydration levels play a hugely important role in how you feel on a day-to-day basis, especially during spells of hot weather. This is because water, on a daily basis, is used for vital body functions such as; to help regulate body temperature, lubricate joints, prevent & fight infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and ensure that organs are functioning properly.
Consistent and severe dehydration can even cause considerable health problems such as low blood pressure, heatstroke, high heart rate, heat exhaustion, and even life-threatening conditions like kidney failure.
Being aware of the symptoms of dehydration allows individuals to act by rehydrating themselves as soon as they experience moderate dehydration. This awareness allows these individuals to avoid the far more dangerous and severe cases of dehydration.
Common Causes Of Dehydration
The common causes of dehydration could be:
- High body fluid loss through excessive sweating can reduce the normal water content of your body.
- Not taking in enough fluids on a daily basis.
- Health conditions and illness.
- Having a high fever could cause dehydration in the body
- Extremely hot weather
What Are The Symptoms Of Dehydration?
There are a huge number of symptoms of dehydration that you should be aware of and look out for. If you experience any of these symptoms then it could be very important for you to take care in rehydrating your body and give yourself the fluids it needs to rehydrate. The 5 main symptoms are:
1 - Feeling Thirsty
The feeling of thirst is something that we have all experienced on numerous occasions. Because of the frequency of this feeling, it can often be overlooked. However, this feeling comes from our brains being able to detect the water levels within our body and let us know when they are running lower than they should be.
Our bodies are very good at letting us know when there is something wrong. Having an overwhelming thirst is our body letting us know that it is dehydrated and is in need of fluids. This is why it is extremely important to take in fluids, rehydrate the body and suppress thirst, as it could ultimately be saving you from further dehydration.
2 - Dark Yellow Urine
Another very common symptom of dehydration is dark yellow and pungent-smelling urine. While it may be difficult to always have crystal clear urine; dark yellow and even orange-coloured urine is a telltale sign that you are dehydrated. In fact, the urine test is one of the most common ways of checking for dehydration and dehydration levels.
Both the dark colour and strong smell are caused by your kidney trying to save as much water and body fluids as it can. This causes the urine to be far more concentrated and therefore much darker yellow in appearance. If your urine is dark, then you will also notice that you will be far less frequent in the bathroom.
If you are not urinating at least 4 times a day and when you do your urine is very dark, then you could be severely dehydrated. If this is the case then it is incredibly important that you increase the amount of fluids that you are consuming to avoid a potential serious medical emergency.
3 - Feeling Lightheaded
Another very common symptom and sign that you could not be drinking enough fluids is constant lightheadedness. This is something that a lot of people suffer from but do not realise is related to the amount of water and fluids that they consume.
Lightheadedness is because when the body is starved of fluids, the volume of your blood and your blood pressure reduces. This therefore stops the brain from getting the amount of blood supply that it needs resulting in the feeling of being lightheaded. This can actually be a system of quite severe dehydration and it is therefore super important to increase your water and fluid intake.
4 - Dry Mouth
Another severe dehydration symptom that you should be aware of and look out for is extreme dry mouth. A dry mouth typically occurs when your mouth's salivary gland cannot produce enough saliva. This is most commonly caused by dehydration as your body does not have enough fluids to produce saliva. This is therefore something that you should take seriously when you experience it as neglecting the warning signs can lead to even more severe levels of dehydration that can become incredibly risky.
In addition to dry mouth, with dehydration, it is not uncommon to experience other areas of dryness such as dry skin, dry eyes, and dry lips. This is again because the body cannot produce enough moisture, therefore, drying these areas out.
5 - Increased Fatigue & Tiredness
One of the main signs of dehydration is low energy levels which can be shown in the form of fatigue and tiredness. This is again a symptom that a lot of people would not typically associate with dehydration and therefore neglect the feeling.
Dehydration causes intense fatigue and tiredness as it makes the body redirect the blood away from the skin and to the overworking muscles. This then has a hugely negative effect on the body's ability to diffuse heat. The resulting increase in internal heat often shows itself in the form of muscle cramps, fatigue and overall tiredness.
How To Combat Dehydration With ViDrate Hydration
There are a number of ways in which you can combat and treat dehydration. Drinking enough fluids will help you to ensure that you are sufficiently hydrated and therefore ensure that your health and well-being are as good as it can be. There are effective oral rehydration solutions such as electrolyte powders, sports drinks and of course drinking plenty of water.
Here at ViDrate, our goal is to enhance your hydration and fight dehydration. Our incredible powder sachets feature all of the vitamins and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, that your body needs to stay on top of its hydration. Our sugar-free sachets incorporate great taste and convenience to allow you to stay hydrated on the go.
