More than seventy percent of Earth is covered in water. Similarly, the human body contains about 75 percent water. Every cell, tissue, and organ in the body requires water to function normally. One of the first signs of needing hydration is when you feel thirsty. The body loses water constantly through daily functioning, and especially during periods of increased perspiration.

Insufficient water intake leaves the body dehydrated, and a dehydrated body will function below its optimum level. Water enables a body to maintain its ideal temperature, produce digestive juices, and process waste. Drinking plenty of water on normal days and more during hot ones and while exercising is crucial.

Every day people lose water from sweating, urinating, and even breathing.

Sweating increases during hot weather, physical exertion, and when a person has a fever. Additional fluids exit the body as a result of suffering a purge, such as from vomiting, having diarrhea, or increasingly urination due to an immune response to a foreign-born illness.

In children, dehydration sometimes results from a lack of appetite or thirst; this usually occurs when a child is sick, often from contracting a stomach virus or developing a sore throat. Dehydration can sometimes occur because a person becomes too busy to drink water, forgets to do so, or does not have access to clean and potable water; this is especially true for people who are traveling, spend long times outdoor doing activities such as running marathons, or during the work week when people sometimes neglect health.

Child and teenage athletes are more susceptible to dehydration because they may be unaware of the need to re-hydrate often and/or do not recognize early signs of dehydration. Adults and children both can dehydrate during winter, when physical output and bodily temperature regulation increase demand for water.

Signs of Dehydration

There are several telltale signs of dehydration.

• Fatigue

• Dry or sticky mouth

• Decreased urine output or concentrated urine of a dark yellow color

• Sunken eyes that might not produce tears

• Dry skin

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Constipation

Drinking plenty of water as a precautionary measure is always preferable than dealing with symptoms of dehydration. When dehydration occurs in infants, children, and elderly people, medical professionals must address the situation immediately.

At minimum, the human body needs 6 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water daily to prevent dehydration. Individual requirements may be more depending on a person's level of physical activity, metabolism, health, and age.

Drinking two cups (16 ounces) of water before and after outdoor activity, whether athletic or recreational, should become a habit of anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors.

In some people, health conditions can increase water requirements. These conditions include:

• Medical conditions such as kidney stones or a bladder infection

• Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding

• Extreme exposure to heat

• Special diets, especially those designed to lose weight

The color of a person’s urine can be used to gauge whether someone is drinking enough water. Consistently colorless or light yellow urine signals good hydration.

Although water is the most replenishing thing someone could consume to prevent dehydration, a dehydrated body has lost more than water; it has also lost electrolytes. These electrolytes can be replenished with sports drinks, which replace fluids and depleted chemicals like sodium and potassium. Sports drinks also contain carbohydrates, which can prevent someone's blood sugar from falling too low during physical exertion. However, these sports drinks should be chosen wisely because they often contain high amounts of sodium and calories.

Some drinks may also contain caffeine, which is not recommended for hydration. Other caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda tend to cause dehydration. This is because caffeine is a diuretic, causing a person to urinate frequently. Caffeine intake should therefore be limited to 200 to 300mg daily. Roughly two to four cups of coffee has this amount of caffeine. Beverages that aid hydration include vegetable juices, milk, soup broth, and herbal teas. Fresh fruit is also a good source of hydration.

The best way to stay hydrated is to get into the habit of drinking water regularly. Starting and ending each day with a glass of water is an easy yet effective habit. Adding a pinch of fresh lemon juice to those glasses will give a little boost to the digestive system, too. Throughout a workout, both athletes and recreational exercisers should sip water regularly. Often, thirst is mistaken for hunger. Drinking water can alleviate hunger, make one feel full, and possibly aid weight loss.

At a cafe or restaurant, diners should request a glass of water along with their other beverages. Because caffeinated drinks are diuretics, water must be consumed with them to compensate for the loss in urination.

Conclusion

Unlike fat, water cannot be stored in the body. This means that while humans can survive without food by living off their fat deposits, they cannot go long without water. Human bodies need daily, constant fluid replenishment to carry out essential physiological functions. Nothing is as beneficial or refreshing as drinking water, which is more than a means to quench thirst; it is a means to live.