Dehydration can affect you more than what you think. The following symptoms will convince you why you should avoid getting dehydrated.
Bad breath
When you’re dehydrated, you’re not producing enough saliva, causing bacteria overgrowth that leads to bad breath.
Dry skin
When you’re dehydrated, you don’t have enough blood volume so you get dry skin. Symptoms may be milder or come slower in cooler seasons or climates, but dehydration is still possible. Also, when you’re dehydrated, your skin is lacking in moisture and not oil. So, if you have oily skin, you can see dry patches on your skin.
Fever and chills
Every body organ relies on water, so when you don’t get enough to replace the fluids you naturally lose, your cells don’t get the nutrients and minerals they need. This leads to lack of necessary moisture in your mouth, nose and throat — which is vital to prevent sickness. If you’re severely dehydrated, you’re prone to fever and chills. Seek immediate medical help if your fever rises over 38°C.
Food cravings
Mild dehydration is often masked as feelings of hunger, when really your body just needs fluids. This happens due to confusion in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates appetite and thirst. Cravings for sweets are the most common, because your body experiences difficulty with glycogen production. If you’re craving something sweet, find a snack that has high water content, preferably fruits and vegetables, or try yogurt.
Headaches
If the fluid sack in your brain is depleted or running low due to dehydration, the brain can push up against parts of the skull, causing headaches. Your headache may get even worse, depending on how much water you lose. The more water you lose, the more your blood volume drops, which causes less oxygen flow to the brain and dilation of blood vessels.
No sweat during workouts
Even if you’re the kind of person who is prone to sweating, your body can stop sweating if you’re dehydrated. When your body becomes too hot, it releases the extra heat through sweating, in order to keep your core temperatures regulated. If there’s not enough water in your body, you miss out on that regulating system. Not only will you stop sweating, but you also are at risk of overheating, as heat is trapped inside your body and your core temperatures rise.
Ineffective diet
Staying hydrated is very crucial for the success of your diet. Dehydration slows your metabolism, negatively affects your body’s ability to burn fat, and encourages excess calorie consumption. It can contribute specifically to belly fat.
Extra yellow pee
This happens because your urine is over-concentrated with waste. When you're dehydrated, waste is not as easily flushed out as when you’re fully hydrated, so it stays there.
Constipation
If your body lacks water, food waste will not move through your colon and out of your body efficiently.
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