Are You Dehydrated? - Explanation of Signs of Dehydration

Do you realize if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated? The human body being two thirds water makes it easy for us to become dehydrated. While exercising you can lose alot of water from your body and it's very important that you replace it as soon as possible. A good way to stay hydrated while working out is to drink alot of water before you even start exercising. Sports drinks are also very helpful in rehydrating your body after a long bout of exercise.

Facts

75% percent of Americans are dehydrated all the time.
Just a mild dehydration can cause the metabolism to slow by 3%.
The number one reason for day time fatigue is dehydration.
Some researchers say that drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day could lesson back and joint pain.
Drinking caffeinated beverages dehydrate you faster because they are diuretics.
Just a 2% loss of body water can cause trouble focusing, fuzziness, short term memory loss.

Signs of mild Dehydration

Trouble concentrating
Fatigue
Constipation
Depression
Aggravation
Being thirsty

Signs of Moderate Dehydration

Headache
Flushed Skin
Fatigue
Being Dizzy
Nauseousness
Feeling Weak
Tingling in limbs
Rapid breathing

Signs of severe dehydration

Difficulty moving
Swollen tongue
Not being able to swallow
A feeling of numbness
Sight Problems
Being generally incapacitated
confusion
Cramps
Failing Kidney function leading to death

In the summertime you may need to drink more than the recommended 8 glasses of water. If you're stressed out, exercise or are active in sports you should drink more than 8 glasses of water also. Dehydration can lead to heat stroke since when you are dehydrated there isn't enough water in your body to cool itself down.

An easy way to tell if you are overly dehydrated is by looking at the color of your urine. If it's dark yellow that's a very good sign you are dehydrated.

Being in places where the humidity is high, humidity reduces the body's ability to sweat. Sweating is how our bodies try and cool themselves down and when it's very humid the sweat isn't able to evaporate.

The Bottom line is Dehydration can lead to death, that's right death. The combination of heat, high humidity, long exercising outside during the hottest part of the day, working hard in the sun or even just walking around in the sun and not drinking enough water can lead to many problems. Those who are not used to being outdoors during really hot weather, the elderly and very young can easily succumb to the heat and dehydration very quickly.