12 Signs You Need to Drink More Water
Introduction: Experts often tell us we should drink water frequently. But when should we drink water? Here are 12 signs that you need to drink water.
1. Unexplained Fatigue
The human body's process of creating energy cannot occur without water. Water is the central controller that regulates the osmotic balance of mineral ion pumps. Energy is generated as water operates these pumps, sending potassium into the cells and sodium out of the cells. When water activates the pump proteins, sodium and potassium attach to them, acting like "generator magnets." This is the same principle as how a hydroelectric power plant generates electricity.
For this process to proceed smoothly, 75% of the water content must be inside the cells. Only then can the water passing through the cell membrane operate the pump, completing the exchange of substances such as sodium and potassium.
The body cannot store water. The water we drink is used for many functions like digestion, absorption, energy production, and waste removal. The remaining water is all excreted through urine. Therefore, if you don't drink water frequently, the body won't have enough water to produce energy, and you will only feel tired.
2. Indigestion
After food enters the mouth, digestive enzymes in saliva soften it during chewing. As food passes through the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, proteins into amino acids, and fats into small fatty acids. Vitamins and minerals also dissolve in water, becoming forms that are easily absorbed by the body.
Dehydration causes waste to accumulate in the body. Our body will deal with this waste as if it were a disease, using all its energy to clear it out, instead of performing daily cell regeneration. Therefore, dehydration can cause many body organs, especially the digestive system, lymphatic system, and kidneys, to lose their normal vitality. The digestive process, which constantly requires water from start to finish, is particularly affected.
The process of food dissolving, breaking down, and dispersing in water is called hydrolysis. Water is also what transports these broken-down nutrients to the cells. Moreover, converting absorbed nutrients into energy also requires water. Therefore, when the body is dry, digestion will naturally be affected.
Conversely, excessive water intake can also affect digestion. Drinking water immediately before or after a meal can dilute the digestive juices in the stomach, easily leading to stomach discomfort. Drinking water while eating can promote sugar absorption, easily leading to obesity. Therefore, the habit of eating with broth or rice soaked in water is not good for your health. It is best to drink water 0.5 to 1 hours before or after a meal.
3. Constipation
After you eat, the nutrients in the food are absorbed by the body, and the remaining residue is slowly compressed and moves to the large intestine. In this process, water acts as a lubricant, in other words, it softens the stool to facilitate excretion.
To prevent the body from drying out, the end of the small intestine and the large intestine are good at absorbing water. If there is not enough water in the body, the stool will become hard and round as it passes through the small and large intestines. Moreover, lacking this lubricant, its movement will slow down. This leads to constipation.
If stool stays in the body for too long, harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and沼气 (marsh gas) in the stool will be absorbed by the body, leading to problems like headaches, nausea, indigestion, and loss of appetite. The longer stool stays in the intestine, the longer carcinogens and bodily waste are in contact with the large intestine. If the large intestine is frequently in contact with carcinogens for long periods, its cells are more likely to mutate, leading to polyps or diverticulosis, and in severe cases, even colorectal cancer.
People eat dietary fiber to improve constipation. But if you only eat fiber without drinking water, the stool will only become harder and worsen constipation. When consuming dietary fiber, you should also pay attention to drinking water.
While drinking water, eat more soft, water-absorbent fiber. This is the most natural and easiest way to solve constipation. However, coarse fiber may cause indigestion.
4. Frequent Fevers
Water in the body plays a role in regulating body temperature. If the body cannot regulate its temperature, this is another sign of dehydration.
A representative signal the body sends due to its inability to regulate water is heatstroke. If you work or exercise excessively under the scorching summer sun and sweat profusely, you can easily collapse from heatstroke. Excessive sweating will lead to significant water loss, and dehydration will cause the body to lose its ability to regulate temperature, making it unable to withstand the extreme heat.
If a child's fever rises above 40°C, they may experience febrile seizures. This is also a phenomenon caused by lack of water. Dehydration can cause the body to lose its ability to regulate temperature, leading to seizures due to high fever.
5. Not Sweating
Both excessive and insufficient sweating can be troublesome. Hyperhidrosis, where hands and feet are often damp, not only brings inconvenience to the person but also affects their appearance. People whose feet sweat a lot are prone to athlete's foot.
Conversely, some people's hands and feet do not sweat at all, and their palms or soles become dry and cracked. Both of these situations are phenomena caused by abnormalities in the autonomic nerves that control sweating in the hands and feet. At this time, attention should be paid to regulating the autonomic nerves. A check-up can determine if the autonomic nerve function is abnormal.
When sweating excessively, sweating can be prevented through sympathectomy. However, the problem of not sweating at all cannot be solved by surgery. Frequent hand or foot baths, drinking more water, and using moisturizers can help relieve these symptoms.
6. Dizziness and Lightheadedness
There are many causes of dizziness. If you have no chronic illnesses and your nutritional intake is balanced, it is very likely caused by low blood pressure from dehydration in the body. Some people feel dizzy when suddenly standing up from a sitting or lying position. The cause of this phenomenon is usually not a neurological problem like anemia or a balance disorder, but orthostatic hypotension.
94% of blood is composed of water. Insufficient water will lower blood pressure, and a decrease in blood pressure will reduce the amount of blood flowing to the brain, causing a type of cerebral ischemia. When the brain is dehydrated, a person feels dizzy as if they are lacking oxygen.
Modern people can ingest various rich nutrients from their diet, such as iron, so as long as they are not ill or avoid meat, anemia usually does not occur. Before and during ovulation, women's bodies are prone to edema due to hormonal influences, which can lead to orthostatic hypotension. Therefore, women are more prone to dizziness than men.
Some people take iron supplements as soon as they feel dizzy. If you are not anemic and take iron supplements, it will only make your blood thicker, increasing the risk of cancer or stroke.
7. Thick Blood
Excessive sweating causes a large loss of water from the blood, making it thicker, and red blood cells in it are more likely to form clots. Moreover, as blood concentration rises, it can easily lead to high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. We can check the body's blood concentration and clotting situation through a blood analysis test.
Thick blood and clots blocking the heart can cause cardiac arrest, which directly threatens life. A deceased famous comedian was a case like this. He successfully lost 30kg through weight loss, but suddenly suffered cardiac arrest while having a bowel movement in the bathroom and unfortunately passed away. Before his death, he had sweated a lot in a sauna and then again during exercise, and the significant water loss made his blood too thick.
It is not uncommon for people to have a stroke suddenly in a sauna. This is because thick blood can block cerebral blood vessels, causing cerebral infarction. Therefore, it is best to drink a glass of water 30 minutes before exercise and to rehydrate in small amounts frequently after exercise.
8. Flushing
85% of the brain is composed of water. The brain is always immersed in salty cerebrospinal fluid. Therefore, it is extremely sensitive to even the slightest dehydration. Among the many organs in the human body, the brain has priority in water supply.
When the dry body continues to dehydrate or body temperature rises, the brain will prioritize the blood supply to cerebral vessels even at the expense of other tissues. When the water supply is insufficient, the brain will dilate the cerebral blood vessels to a certain extent, which causes the face to flush.
The face is not only an organ that carries the five sense organs, but it also provides numerous nerve endings that act as receptors. Nerve endings continuously monitor the surrounding environment and transmit the results to the brain. In other words, the face is an extension organ of the highly sensitive brain, so the nerve endings in the face also need adequate water to increase the blood supply to the brain and facial circulation.
Alcoholics usually have red noses because alcohol causes severe dehydration in the brain. If a person's face flushes and they have a red nose, it means their body is in a state of dehydration.
9. Increased Belly Fat
Dehydration not only reduces hormone function but can also easily lead to constipation. Chronic constipation can cause poor circulation in the abdomen, leading to the accumulation of abdominal fat, which in turn further causes difficulty in excretion. This creates a vicious cycle of poor circulation and increased abdominal fat.
Hormone deficiency caused by dryness in the body can easily lead to weight gain. A decrease in growth hormone and estrogen will increase belly fat. A lack of growth hormone will reduce muscle mass and increase abdominal fat, and the reduced muscle mass will lower the basal metabolic rate, trapping a person in a vicious cycle of obesity.
10. Headaches and Heavy Head
Brain cells produce metabolic waste during their operation, but the brain cells themselves cannot tolerate these acidic substances, so they clean them up in a timely manner.
This is also why the brain has priority in water allocation. When water is insufficient, the brain issues instructions to send more blood to itself to clean the waste. A heavy head is one of these signals.
Supplying blood to the brain requires blood to travel from the heart's aorta through the carotid artery, then through the scalp, face, and tongue, and finally through the skull. As the brain instructs itself to supply more blood, the arteries begin to dilate forcefully, increasing blood circulation in the face and scalp, and the pulse of the arteries around the temples strengthens, leading to a headache. If the increased blood flow cannot meet the water needs of the brain cells, a migraine may even occur.
11. Body Odor
Removing toxins from the body is one of the functions of the skin. The skin is like a sieve with very fine holes. As water evaporates through these holes, bodily waste is expelled along with it. Waste emits unpleasant odors, and lack of water increases its concentration, worsening body odor.
When detoxification organs like the liver and kidneys, or excretory organs, are overloaded, the skin has to work harder to expel toxins, which can result in skin rashes.
12. Frequent Blinking
Frequent blinking indicates that insufficient tear secretion is causing dry eyes. Usually, people with dry eye syndrome blink frequently, sometimes their eyes close involuntarily, there is a stinging sensation in the eyes, and then tears flow. This is a protective mechanism the body enforces to prevent the evaporation of moisture from the eyes.
If rubbing the eyes does not moisten them, drinking water can quickly relieve the burning sensation and pain in the eyes. Using artificial tears or frequently washing the face and dripping water into the eyes can also help relieve the symptoms.