The effects of water loss on the human body are significant, whether they are acute or chronic, and can lead to dangerous health conditions, including coma and death.
If you take a look at the soil in a water-deprived area, where the earth is dry and cracked and nothing grows, you may get some idea of what occurs over time in a chronically dehydrated body.
Most individuals tend to think that dehydration only occurs to people stuck in a desert or lost at sea, or someone who is suffering from a severe illness or has run a long distance without drinking enough water, but it is actually more common than anyone could imagine.
Chronic dehydration is actually widespread across the world, with most individuals not even realising that they are at least 10% dehydrated most of the time. Dehydration essentially means that there is an abnormal depletion of body fluids, and occurs when more fluids are egested than are ingested, resulting in an imbalance of fluids in the body, which normally contains around 70% water.
Dehydration does not only mean loss of water, but also loss of electrolytes such as calcium, sodium and potassium, which are critical to hydration and the normal health and functioning of the human body.
Acute dehydration occurs within a short period of time and is primarily due to overexertion through exercise, vomiting and diarrhoea associated with illness, or other unusual situations that cause fluid loss or fluid deprivation.
Chronic dehydration occurs when small amounts of water are lost via normal occurrences such as sweating, urination and other normal bodily functions and not replaced regularly. Chronic dehydration is far more prevalent but is also less noticeable.
When one loses water slowly over time and does not replace it, the body redistributes and regulates the amount of available water, rationing it and sending it where it is most needed. This rationing of available water means that the body provides water for critical, life-sustaining functions while less critical functions are put on hold.
Water loss can lead to acid reflux, allergies, arthritis, asthma, digestive disorders, dry skin, headaches, fatigue, and high blood pressure plus a whole slew of other health conditions. Further water loss can cause heart, kidney and liver problems, and can lead to coma and even death.
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