Put simply, dehydration occurs when your body doesn’t have enough water in it to function as it should. Although we often feel mildly dehydrated, for example in hot weather or after drinking large amounts of alcohol, more severe cases of dehydration can have deadly effects in the form of seizures, blood clots, and much more.
As a company specializing in office water delivery in Atlanta, we take it as our responsibility to educate Atlanta citizens on the warning signs of dehydration, keeping them safe in the blazing Georgia heat. Mild signs of dehydration, such as thirst, may be easily quenched by our Atlanta office water delivery service, but if you experience any of these warning signs for severe dehydration, be sure to take action immediately!
1. Smelly breath
If you’re dehydrated, you produce less saliva than usual. Coincidentally, saliva is a natural fighter of smelly breath, so bad breath could indicate a lack of saliva and therefore a lack of overall hydration. Bad breath is largely caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in your mouth, and not producing enough saliva due to dehydration allows this bacteria to run wild in your oral cavity.
2. Muscle cramps
If you find that you get muscle cramps during exercise, particularly if you exercise in hot weather, then this may be a warning sign that your body is dehydrated. Put simply, your muscles need water in order to cool themselves down and remain usable. As your muscles work harder and harder during exercise, the heat they give off can cause them to cramp up. Being dehydrated makes this phenomenon even worse, and it can technically occur in any climate, although hotter weather definitely helps the process.
3. Dry or tented skin
It’s probably not too surprising that people with dry skin are experiencing dehydration symptoms. Although some people are naturally prone to drier skin than others, dry skin and flushed skin can often be attributed to a lack of water in the body. If someone pinches their skin and it remains “tented” for a few moments before returning back to normal, this can also be a sign that someone is severely dehydrated and in need of some H2O pronto!
4. Chills or fever
If you’re experiencing chills or a fever, it could be a symptom of dehydration. The problem here is that these ailments can have a vicious circle effect which makes the water problem even worse. For example, fever can make your dehydration worse, depriving your body of even more water. Subsequently, the higher the fever temperature, the more water your body will lose, making you progressively sicker and sicker. If you’re an adult and your fever temperature raises to above 103°F, you should seek medical assistance sooner rather than later.
Children can also experience an illness called “dehydration fever” if they do not drink enough fluids. If a child experiences diarrhea, vomiting, and other similar ailments, this can also lead to dehydration fever due to the fluids leaving their bodies, causing their condition to further deteriorate. If you think that your child is experiencing a fever, do not hesitate to contact a pediatrician or health care professional as quickly as possible.
5. Headaches
Ever wonder why you get headaches after a heavy night of drinking? It’s because alcohol dehydrates your body, and headaches are one of the most common warning signs of dehydration. Although multiple factors can trigger headaches, dehydration is quite a common one, so be sure to drink a couple glasses of water (and continue topping up on the water later on) to see if this helps. Headaches fuelled by dehydration can lead to uncomfortable migraine headaches, something we’re sure that you’d rather avoid!
6. Sugar cravings
If you’re craving certain foods, particularly sweet and sugar-rich foods, this may also be a telltale sign of dehydration. Your body needs to be able to break down glycogen in order to release glucose into your blood, and dehydration makes this process more difficult. As a result, your body’s kneejerk reaction can be to tell you that you need more sugar when you actually just need more water to help with the glucose which is already in your system.
7. Dark urine
If your urine is darker than usual, this is usually a sign that you need to drink more water. Ideally, your urine should be clear or very pale in color, as this indicates that your body is flush with plenty of water. Urine which is dark or strongly colored suggests that you need to rehydrate and top up on your water supply!
Want to make drinking water a bit more routine? Check out our post on the 3 Free Water Drinking Apps To help make drinking life-giving water more habitual.
Here at Lipsey Water, we pride ourselves on our Atlanta office water delivery, bringing fresh, clean drinking water to offices all over Atlanta. We also care about your health, and the havoc that dehydration can wreak on your body. If you think that your workforce is under-hydrated, why not give Lipsey Water a call at 770-449-0001 and enquire about our office water delivery service today?