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Water is lost through normal daily bodily functions such as breathing and urinating. It is also lost through sweat and bowel movements.
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It is estimated that approximately 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This is despite drinking lots of fluids because many of the fluids contain caffeine or alcohol, which contributes to water loss.
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Eating a lot of salt can result in dehydration.
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Individuals that feel tired all the time might be dehydrated. Dehydration is considered to be the main cause of midday burn-out.
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Once a person feels thirsty they are already dehydrated. It may take only 1% to 2% dehydration to cause a person to become thirsty.
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Short-term memory, concentration, anxiety levels, irritability and attention span are all negatively affected by dehydration.
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Drinking cold water is believed to help boost one's metabolism because the body must use energy to heat the cold water up to body temperature.
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An individual that is chronically dehydrated is more likely to develop kidney stones. Individuals with kidney stones who increase water intake can reduce the occurrence of stones in the future.
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Young children and the elderly populations are more susceptible to dehydration.
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As much as 75% of the human body is made up of water, with most being in the body's cells.
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When you breathe out on a cold day and see your breath this is actually exhaled water.
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For every 100 pounds a person weighs they should consume 50 ounces a day at a minimum to replace what is lost on a 'normal' day. This increases with exercise and changing environmental factors, as well as when a person is sick.
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An individual that is sick, with vomiting or diarrhea, will lose more water than normal and it is important to replace this to avoid becoming even more ill.
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Dehydration can be life threatening, and it can occur quickly in some circumstances.
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When some people become dehydrated they cannot simply drink enough liquids to replace the lost water. Sometimes it is necessary to reintroduce water into the body through medical intervention.
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Some lesser-known signs of dehydration include the inability to make tears, dry mouth, lack of sweating (when you should be sweating), muscle cramping, vomiting, nausea, heart palpitations, weakness, and the feeling of being lightheaded.
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Hydration can be achieved through sufficient liquid intake, but food contributes to hydration as well because of its water content. Roughly 20% of a person's water comes from food. Some foods have very high water content, such as watermelons and cucumbers.
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