Get Healthier; Drink More Water – Part 2

This is continued from Get Healthier; Drink More Water – Part 1

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Headaches

One very common symptom of a lack of water intake is headaches, including migraines. The body’s response to lack of hydration is to constrict blood vessels, including those in the brain and surrounding tissues, which can cause headaches. The solution is to drink water, especially at the onset of a headache.

Increased allergic reactions

The body naturally also constricts the air passages when a person isn’t consuming enough water. This greatly increases such allergies as hayfever, reaction to dust, and even asthma. Conversely, drinking water can lessen these problems.

Fatigue

If there isn’t enough water in the system, the flow of vital nutrients, enzymes, and catalysts slows way down, in addition to a decrease in metabolism. The person feels tired and lacks energy. Again, the solution is to drink more water.

Water retention and kidney problems

It seems to go directly against the issue, but people who become dehydrated often have problems with retaining water. People who are overweight often have water retention problems, too. The kidneys can’t function correctly when water is being retained and this increases the toxins and poisons in the blood because they aren’t being filtered out.

One of the most obvious signs of dehydration, in fact, is a change in the color of urine. If there is inadequate water in the body, urine often becomes darker because the toxins and uric acid become concentrated. All of this is due to the body attempting to limit water loss.

Increased risk of infections

Without enough water, the body can’t fight infections and illnesses correctly. This might show up as increased susceptibility to colds and flu or to a slower than normal recovery from injuries.

Lack of taste

Most people don’t know it, but the majority of our sense of taste comes from our sense of smell, not from our taste buds. If there isn’t adequate water intake, foods can begin to taste bland because there is less moisture to aid in the sense of smell. At the same time, even the taste buds are affected because there is a drop in saliva production, often so small that it isn’t noticed.

Mood swings and irritability

This isn’t as crazy as it sounds. If the body doesn’t get enough water, it becomes harder for hormones and enzymes to be produced and transported throughout the body. This can greatly increase the volatility of our emotions due to hormonal imbalances, even in an otherwise healthy individual.

By now you should be getting a picture of just how important it is to drink water. Other fluids can help, but they aren’t a substitute for drinking the real thing and there is a good reason that medical wisdom is that people should drink a minimum of 8-12 glasses of water per day, in addition to the other fluids that they drink.

If you are a person who has trouble drinking water, add a twist of lemon or use other flavorings, but drink more water. Of course, the option is yours. If you don’t mind suffering from any of the above issues, you don’t need to increase your water intake. However, if you want to be healthier and to feel better, drinking more water is a wonderful start.