Drink water more and more to keep good health

Dr. Sourav Agarwala

MD - Medicine, MBBS · General Physician 

Health problems caused by not drinking enough water

Our body is made up of almost 70% water and while we can live without food for a few days at least, it is important to replenish your water needs every day. If you miss drinking enough water even for a day, you will notice a change. And the ill effects of not drinking enough water can be severe and should not be taken lightly.

You might have to face these 5 health problems if you are not drinking enough water:

1. Constipation: If your body is not getting enough water, it will not be able to digest well because our bodies need right amount of liquid to process the foods we eat. When the stomach is constipated, digestive juices are secreted in lesser quantity, thus leading to other digestive disorders.

2. Weight gain: Many a times, we eat or feel hungry just a while after eating. This is not really hunger and actually means that the body needs water. A dehydrated body often sends misleading signals which is misinterpreted as hunger and we end up gaining unnecessary weight.

3. Cholesterol and changes in blood pressure: When we don't drink enough water, the water reserve in the body gets used up resulting in there not being enough for the capillaries, veins and arteries. This results in blood pressure going high and/or low. Similarly, the cells of the body get dehydrated and in an attempt to stop this, the body starts producing cholesterol more than what’s required.

4. Dryness of the skin and other problems: Apart from through urine, our body also loses water in the form of sweat. This needs to be replenished or the skin starts becoming dry, lips are chapped and we even experience an increase in hair fall. Not drinking enough water also leads to premature aging and graying.

5. Infections: It is important to urinate frequently because through urine, our body releases toxins which are not needed for the body. If you don't drink enough water, you won’t urinate enough and might end up with problems like UTI and cystitis.