How does the body show that it has too little water?

1. Dry mouth Although it’s pretty obvious this means you need to have a glass of fluid, the consequences are a bit less well known. In addition, sweet drinks are only a temporary and calorie-rich solution. In fact, they are not a solution at all. You’ll only create more problems for yourself. Otherwise, dry mouth is a sign that the body lacks fluids, and even a sip of water—which you should drink slowly—soothes the mucous membrane and refreshes it, so it can go on performing its role: to protect the internal organs from harm.

2. Dry skin Dry skin is one of the obvious signs of dehydration. If this happens to you in the morning, try sleeping with the window open. If it happens during the day, you need to drink more often (not just when you notice one of these symptoms). Do not forget that the body can only successfully cleanse and eliminate toxic substances when it has enough sweat. Dry skin means toxins remain in the body.

3. Excessive thirst Sometimes you feel as if you could drink a whole swimming pool of water and more. When drinking water, by all means, do not hold back, because in doing so you hurt yourself the most. The body knows what it’s lacking.

4. Dry eyes It's not just a problem with dry mouth and throat. We often forget that the eyes are important too. You should pay particular attention to the lack of moisture in the nose and, above all, in the eyes, which are often very exposed to drying out. That’s why it’s perfectly okay if your eyes tear up. It’s more dangerous if they don’t. A glass of water always solves these problems.

5. Joint pain Our spinal and cartilage discs are made up of 80 percent water. So water is essential for the function and maintenance of moving parts. So: the less water in the body, the less flexible we are. This is especially important when running, jumping, even walking and awkward movements.

[s2]6. Reduced muscle mass Most of our muscles are also made up of water. Drinking water before exercise, during, and after prevents injuries, and even more so inflammation and swelling of the joints. If you feel joint pain after exercise, it means you drank too little water.

7. Stay home for longer Drinking water gives the body the power to flush harmful compounds out. Internal organs do filter some things, but in the end, everything needs to be expelled from the body. Dehydration causes retention of precisely these substances, which can lead to all sorts of diseases. And don’t forget: the consequences of dehydration can be felt even up to 5 days after the cause of the problems.

8. Feeling tired and unmotivated The less water you have in your body, the less energy and ideas you’ll have. Lack of water means less blood volume. This also means less oxygen in the blood, and less oxygen causes drowsiness, tiredness, and especially poorer brain function. Pay attention to afternoon tiredness—this is common. If you get tired at the same hour each day, that’s normal. But if you get tired earlier and earlier, no amount of coffee will help. You just need a glass of water.

9. Feeling hungry The nastiest, even deceptive, way is the feeling of hunger. The body has learned that people react to hunger faster than thirst. So, whenever you feel hungry, first drink a glass of lukewarm water (not cold—cold water hardens fat and won’t solve your problems). Warm water will melt some fat, and just because of that you’ll get some energy and last at least another half hour, or until your next glass of water. In addition, dehydration can cause drying out or at least poorer functioning of the stomach lining, which means you’ll have to eat more for your body to get the right amount of nutrients. In every case, lack of water makes you gain weight. A lot!

10. Premature aging The amount of water is directly connected to appearance. The more water you have in your body, the better hydrated your skin will be, and the more youthful your appearance will seem. Although such premature aging is most visible on the outside, the internal damage is already very serious and threatens the basic function of the organism. This cannot be fixed with one glass of water or overnight. It’s a very serious problem, because in the US and in some parts of Europe, an aged appearance is already appearing in young people and teenagers. For them, it’s a trend, but when they grow up, they’ll understand that these are the beginnings of prolonged low hydration in the body.

Information on this website is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.