How do you know if you are dehydrated?

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Staying hydrated is key to staying healthy. So how do you know if you are dehydrated? Well there are a number of signs that could indicate that you are dehydrated:

  1. Do you feel thirsty? If you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated and need to start drinking water.
  2. Do you feel tired, confused or angry? Studies have shown that mild levels of dehydration can affect your mood and cognitive functions, altering your energy and ability to think clearly.
  3. Do you have dry eyes or blurred vision? A decrease in overall body fluid will mean areas of the body that are normally moist are going to feel dry. This results in dry eyes or blurred vision.
  4. Do you have a headache? Dehydration can bring on headaches and migraines.

So how much water should you drink each day?

It has been estimate that daily our bodies lose about 10 cups of water just through functioning normally. This water must be replaced every day from the water we drink and the food we eat, but how much water you should drink depends on things like the size of your body, how physically active you are and even the climate.

As a general guideline the average person should drink between 1.5 litres and 3.5 litres every day.

 

For more tips on staying hydrated click here.