The symptoms of dehydration can appear quickly. If the body starts to lose water, it may send signals to the brain to trigger a response that the person will notice.
Most people are familiar with minor symptoms of dehydration, such as having a very dry mouth or feeling very thirsty.
A review posted to the journal Nutrients notes that thirst is the first sign that a person does not have enough water in their body.
For most people, drinking when they feel thirsty will provide them with more than enough water to function and thrive.
Listening to these signals and getting water into the body is crucial. As a study in BioMed Central (BMC) Public Health notes, water makes up 60 percent of a person’s body weight, and losing as little as 3 percent of this weight through water loss may lead to dehydration.
If a person ignores these signs or cannot get water, their body will respond. The brain will send signals to the body to conserve water and urinate less. This will also slow the function of the kidneys.
Dehydration may cause other notable changes in the body, such as: sluggishness or lack of energy, headache, dizziness and confusion, heatstroke and heat cramps, stiff joints that may eventually stick and not work properly, raised or otherwise unregulated body temperature, swelling in the brain, sharp changes in blood pressure and seizures
The person may also go into shock and become unresponsive.
Drinking water regularly helps keep the cells healthy, but when a person’s body rapidly loses water, the body’s cells will start to shrink as water leaves them.
Summary
Hydration is essential for human life. While some people may be able to survive for weeks without food, they can only survive a few days at most without water. Drinking water and eating foods that contain a lot of water may help prevent dehydration.
Without water, dehydration can affect the body rapidly. Depending on the person’s environment and exertion levels, they may notice changes in their body after just a few hours. If a person has diarrhoea or vomiting, their body may lose water faster.
In general, a person who drinks when they feel thirsty should not be at risk of dehydration.
Culled from Medical News Today
