Dehydration leads to so many health problems. Eventually a particular symptom of dehydration can lead to serious disease and illness. From asthma to ulcers, and almost everything in between, symptoms of dehydration warn us of possible serious health problems on the horizon.

Dehydration signs are similar to high blood pressure in that both are "silent" but affect many systems and can eventually lead to serious health problems.
We're chiefly concerned with dehydration that's mild to moderate, occurs over months or years, is chronic and leads to serious health and fitness problems: mild but chronic symptoms of dehydration. However, traditional medicine doesn't address the issue of mild, chronic dehydration and does not view many chronic diseases as signs of dehydration.

How do chronic symptoms of dehydration develop?
We release about 2.5 quarts of liquid a day (which equates to about 6 lbs.). If we don't replace this we start to run a debt and dehydration begins. Even if we adapt to dehydration, eventually it affects us.

What are the physical effects of dehydration?
1.  The amount of blood we have starts to shrink and get a bit sludgy as the blood gives up some of its water to the organs;
2.  Then the water that surrounds the cells starts to diminish. This affects how well and speedily cells perform their roles; and,
3.  Finally, as liquid is sucked out of the cells themselves, the cells shrink. Most of the water in our body is inside of the cells (70%). About 22% of our water surrounds the cells and the rest, 8%, is in our blood.
Dehydration affects the cells more than the surrounding area or the blood. That's why effects of dehydration are so varied and serious. Our cells are everywhere, responsible for everything.

Remember, the answer that the notorious bank robber, Willie Sutton, gave when asked why he robbed banks? - "Cuz that's where the money's at." It’s the same here. Why does most of the water that's drawn from our body get drawn from the cells? That's where the water’s at!

Another serious symptom of dehydration is that our enzymes start to slow down. Enzymes are needed for our bodies to perform all basic tasks. It is impossible to be able to prove scientifically that dehydration leads to a particular illness. We could only go by what we see clinically and what we know about how the human body works.

Obviously, we can't set up experiments that place subjects at risk for serious health problems just to test the effects of chronic dehydration.  However, there is one area of research where the results are clear and definite.

Effects of dehydration include reduced work ability.  This is one area where we can provide exact, scientific facts. There have been many experiments conducted on how dehydration affects our ability (capacity) to do work.  Here's what the research shows: For every 1% of water weight that we lose, our capacity to do work or exercise goes down 10%.  Example: A person weighs 160 pounds and he is 75% water. So he has, or is, 120 pounds water. If he loses just 1.2 pounds of water, his ability in whatever physical activity he’s engaging in gets 10% worse.

The effect continues at the same rate. So, 2% water loss = 20% loss of capacity and so on.  This astonishing finding shows us how just a little water loss, or dehydration, easily done in a moderate exercise session, leads to a great loss in ability to work or perform.

So, it's reasonable to assume that even a little dehydration greatly effects how well all of our organs, systems and cells perform their duties 24/7.
If our physical systems, organs and very cells aren't working as they should be, it's very likely that concerns will result including health problems, chronic disease and premature aging. In fact, the effects of dehydration are so varied that it is difficult to come up with a disease that is not affected by, if not outright caused by, dehydration.

How can not drinking enough water be linked to so many conditions?
Why not? We are 75% water. Our cells bath in mostly water. Our blood is mostly water. Doesn't it make sense that if the water system in our bodies is diminished, or reduced in quality, then any one of our systems and organs can be affected?

What's more, approximately 80% of the public does not drink enough water. That's a higher percentage than people who smoke, are overweight or suffer from high blood pressure.  Is it any wonder why symptoms of dehydration, left unchecked, may be the most serious health risk to you as an individual and to a society as a whole?  Concerned that a particular health issue you are dealing with is a result of one of the many dehydration signs?

Go and drink water, right now!

Loreli's company, Alter Ego Fitness Experience, offers Personal Training, Group Fitness and YogaFit training options. Her passion for overall health and wellness, and her innate ability to sense a client’s personal struggles, enables her to assist them to get to their next level and to, ultimately, find their “alter ego”!

"Overall health and fitness is a journey, not a destination!"