15 Signs That You Need To Drink More Water

By Tara Hari

Sunday, August 18, 2013, 16:42 [IST]

Drinking the right amount of water is essential to maintain the healthy functioning of your body. The tremendous benefits that drinking plenty of water offers your body are too many to be listed.

Water has numerous functions that are vital to the body like transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells, boosting metabolism, protecting vital organs, flushing out toxins, regulating body temperature and helping in the better absorption of nutrients. Moreover, most body parts are made of water. Nearly 70 percent of muscle is water, brain consists of 90 percent water and 83 percent of blood is made of water. Water is essential to every cell in your body.

Hence, it is obvious that water is essential to maintain the proper working of your body and to keep you healthy. For example, since 90 percent of the brain is made of water, if there is a lack of water in the body, the brain will not be able to function properly. The amount of water required daily by a person is subject to various factors. But on an average, scientists agree that every individual needs at least 8 glasses of water every day to keep the body running smoothly.

Let us look at the various signs that you need to drink more water.

Thirst

Thirst is the most obvious sign that you need to drink more water. Thirst is your body's way of telling you to raise the fluid intake.

Dry Mouth

If your mouth feels dry, then it is an infallible sign that you need to drink more water.

Dark Urine

Urine is generally pale yellow to clear when you have sufficient water intake. Dark colour or strong smell is a sign that you need to drink more water.

Tears

While crying, if you are not able to produce tears, then it is a sign that you are dehydrated and need to drink more water.

Fatigue

Since water is a source of energy, feeling fatigued is a definite sign that you need to drink more water.

Hunger

Feeling thirsty can often be mistaken for hunger. People think they are hungry, while in fact, their body is telling them to drink more water. So instead of eating that meal, drink a glass of water first.

Dry Skin

Skin is the largest organ in the body and it needs a lot of water to keep it hydrated. Dry or flaky skin is a definite sign to drink more water.

Lack of Sweating

Sweat is mostly made up of water. So when the body is dehydrated, it stops producing sweat.

Dizziness

Dehydration can also cause us to feel lightheaded, faint or become dizzy. One of the main signs of dizziness caused by dehydration is a sudden rush of lightheadedness when we stand up too fast.

Muscle Spasm

A lasting electrolyte imbalance that can lead to continuous muscle cramping or spasms during or after exercise is caused by dehydration.

Heart Palpitations

The heart is a muscle like any other which is made up of water. When there are reductions in blood flow and changes in electrolyte concentrations due to dehydration, the timing of the heart can be affected and abnormalities in the heart's beating pattern are experienced.

Skin Elasticity

The elasticity of the skin is reduced by dehydration. If the skin is slow to return to normal after being pinched, it is a good sign that you need to drink more water.

Constipation

Dehydration causes the colon to try to conserve water. This causes the colon to absorb too much water from the food we eat, causing our stools to become hard and dry.

Heatstroke

Sweat is mostly made up of water. This means when the body is dehydrated, it stop sweating and can quickly overheat, making us susceptible to heatstroke.