6 Unusual Signs You’re Not Drinking Enough Water

With half of the human body being made up of water, it is needless to say that water is essential to allow the body to function normally. Playing a vital role in regulating good health, water lubricates the joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins and keeps the skin healthy.

Dehydration occurs when the body has insufficient water to function properly. While mild dehydration may be just uncomfortable, more severe dehydration can lead to blood clots, seizures, and other potentially fatal complications.

Here are 5 ways to know if you are dehydrated:

 

1.  Bad Breath
Bad breath may not be related to your oral hygiene at all, in fact it is one of the signs of dehydration, as drinking less water can decrease the production of saliva, causing bad breath.

 

2. Dry Skin

When you experience mouth dryness, it is because of dehydration. And reaching out for coffee and sodas in this situation can dehydrate you further. Dehydration also leads to dryness in the skin and eyes.

 

3. Muscle Cramps

When someone has not consumed enough fluid — or has an imbalance between potassium and sodium — painful muscle cramps can occur. Massage, heat therapy and rehydration can all help

 

4. Dark coloured urine

Dark coloured urine indicates that you are not drinking enough water and must increase your water intake instantly.

 

5. Food Cravings, Especially for Sweets

There are times when less water in the body might give you signals of hunger and the need to munch on a quick snack. If you feel that this hunger is a little strange since you had your last meal only an hour ago, go for drinking water first and see if its hunger or thirst.

 

6. Headaches

A primary sign of dehydration is headache. The body compensates for lack of water by taking it from the blood, which affects the oxygen in our brain and leads to headache. So, the next time headache strikes you, have a glass of water instead of the aspirin.