Common Causes of Dehydration

It is over a hundred degrees outside, the sun is beating down and sweat is dripping down your face and soaking the back of your shirt. You have been outside doing yard work for a few hours now and have not had any water to drink. What happens to your body when it loses water and you are not replenishing it; dehydration. It may not seem like anything too serious but, in some cases, dehydration can actually cause some serious damage to your body, be life threatening and even cause death. The number of Americans that suffer from dehydration is actually quite high; 75 percent are living in a constant state of chronic dehydration. This means that for a substantial period of time their body has been without the correct amount of water that it requires to maintain and keep itself healthy. So what exactly is dehydration? It is a “condition that occurs when the loss of body fluids, mostly water exceeds the amount of fluid that is taken in.” (WebMd) The human body carries an amount of water that ranges anywhere from fifty to seventy-five percent depending on your age, gender and weight.” (Helmenstine) Our body must have water to function properly. While water is the ideal liquid, any liquid, and even some foods with high water content, will help keep the body hydrated, healthy and thriving. Just like a flower that needs water every day, so does the human body.

What are some of the most common causes of dehydration? While simply not drinking enough fluids on a daily basis can be one reason your body may suffer from mild dehydration, there are also reasons that can prevent you from drinking fluids which that causes the body to become dehydrated. Reasons such as being sick, to busy and unprepared or there is no clean water available. There ...

... middle of paper ...

... do when they are sick” and it can be difficult to replace if they do not want to eat or drink or their body cannot retain fluid. (WebMd) “Seniors sense thirst more slowly, so they may not recognize that they are becoming dehydrated causing them to not drink enough fluids.” (MediResourse) They also tend to not eat as much. As the body ages, so does its ability to conserve its water supply. Thirst is the body’s way of telling us that it needs water. With the help of water all the body’s systems can work in perfect harmony and balance.

Works Cited

Derrer, T. David. M.D. “Dehydration in Adults” WebMd. 2013 Web. 2 March. 2014.

MedBroadcast Clinical Team. “Dehydration (Low Body Fluids)” C.Health.

Powered by MediSource.2014. Web. 10 March.2014.

Helmenstine, Annie Marie. Ph.D. “How Much of Your Body Is Water?”

About.Chemistry. 2014 Web. 10 March. 2014.