Nusrat Jahan
According to many medical surveys, 75 percent of Americans go through chronic dehydration. There are many serious factors that can contribute to chronic dehydration. If left untreated, dehydration can cause some severe health issues, such as extreme exhaustion, damaged metabolism, mood swings, and organ malfunctions.
First off, what is dehydration?
60% of our body is made up of water. During sweating, exhalation, and digestion, our bodies lose water. If we do not drink enough water, our bodies can experience dehydration. Severe dehydration can cause seizures, mood swings, blood clots, and other grave issues.
•Bad breath: Dehydration can reduce the production of saliva in our body. If our mouths do not produce enough saliva, there can be bacterial overgrowth which can lead to stinky breath.
•Dry skin/dry and flaky mouth: Our skin becomes dry when blood is not properly circulating on the surface of our skin. A lot of people suffer from dry skin around the mouth and lips, when they are dehydrated.
•Constipation: Water can help the food to move along our intestines, keeping our gut in good condition. If our body does not have enough water, the large intestine will try to absorb any water it finds from the food in our digestive system. The scarcity of water in our system will make it difficult for the stool to pass, thus causing constipation.
•Cramps: When we exercise really hard, our muscles may heat up, and the overheating may cause muscle pain. If we have enough water in our body, it can stabilize this extra heat and prevent us from getting dehydrated.
•Sugar munchies: Heart breaks and periods are not the only thing that can cause some serious food cravings- dehydration can cause it too! This happens due to a problem in the glycogen production. Glycogen is a type of sugar or glucose that our body uses to store energy. When our body does not have enough water, glycogen cannot be made. Hence, we experience food cravings, especially sweet or sugary foods, so that our body can make the glycogen when we are dehydrated.
By now, you are probably wondering “What are the causes of dehydration?” or “how do I prevent it?” Well here is a list of causes, written down below
Extreme sweating
Constant urination
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Too much alcohol
Diabetes