Not feeling good on daily basis? Wondering what in the world you have to do just to feel like functioning? You’ve probably tried solving a lot of other problems before addressing your hydration, but dehydration symptoms could be dragging you down. 

Dehydration Symptoms Could Be Holding You Back

You are losing fluids every single day. Sweating, urinating, and even just breathing is causing you to lose important bodily fluids.

It’s up to you to replenish those fluids as fast as you are losing them. Be honest, are you net positive or net negative on your fluid intake? Statistics say most of us are losing that battle. 

Dehydration Symptoms May Look Like Something Else

Symptoms of dehydration can be similar to other common ailments. You may be treating symptoms of a problem you don’t have, while not realizing what the real problem is. So how do you get your bearings established? 

You start by understanding your daily hydration needs. It will be very difficult for you to determine if dehydration symptoms are your problem, when you don’t know what your daily needs are.

Can you imagine a NASCAR driver starting a race not knowing how much fuel the car’s tank needs? That would not likely be a very successful racing strategy. 

Just the same, it’s critical that you know your daily hydration needs. Those needs can vary based on a lot of different factors: 

• Your age
• Climate where you live
• Your lifestyle 
• Your diet
• Your stress
• Other personal health conditions 

Some people rely on the general recommendation of 8 cups per day. That can be risky, because depending on these factors, and the water you drink, that may not be nearly enough. 

Wait. I can drink 8 cups of water each day, and still not be hydrated? 

That’s right. 

Your Best Hydration Compass

A much better measure of your hydration levels, is the color of your urine. Your body is going to be better than anything else at telling you what your hydration needs are. 

You typically want to have clear to light yellow urine to indicate healthy hydration levels. The darker your urine is, the less hydrated you are. 

Hydrating Properly Goes Beyond Water

You may still be confused how drinking 8 cups per day can still leave you experiencing dehydration symptoms. Well, expert recommendations are generally around 11.5 cups per day for women, and 15.5 cups per day for men.

And you thought 8 cups per day was a challenge. 

Did you know that purified or distilled water is stripped of the hydrating minerals that you need to hydrate properly? So even if your drinking 10-15 cups of water per day, if that’s purified or distilled water, it likely won’t be enough. 

Address Dehydration Symptoms With Hydrating Water

You may think that purified or distilled water is good because it must be the cleanest. You’re right about one thing, it is the cleanest, but that’s not necessarily what you want. Electrolytes, or electrically charged minerals like sodium and potassium, are essential for addressing dehydration symptoms, and they are the things being “cleaned” out by a purification or distillation process. 

So what kinds of water should you look for? 

• Natural spring water
• Mineral water
• Alkaline water (consult with an expert to understand your ph levels for optimal results)

What Are The Symptoms Of Dehydration?

We’ve crushed a couple of misconceptions that should help you better understand your own hydration status. Now, what are the most common symptoms of dehydration that might be tricking you into thinking you have a different problem? 

• Headache
• Weakness or dizziness
• Extreme fatigue
• Nausea

These symptoms are considered to be mild compared to the symptoms of prolonged or chronic dehydration. When you experience these mild symptoms your first step should be hydration. Even if these are symptoms of something else that could be more serious, hydration is always going to be a very important part of treatment. 

If you have been ignoring your hydration long enough it could lead to much more serious symptoms, like: 

• Severe diarrhea
• Bloody stool
• Inability to retain fluids
• Extreme fatigue or disorientation
• Little to no urination 
• Rapid breathing 
• Sunken eyes

You should seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing these symptoms. 

Tips For Preventing Dehydration Symptoms

Those are some pretty awful symptoms, and they are preventable by just staying ahead of your hydration levels. We at Life Leaf have a big passion for natural remedies, and hydration might be the most fundamental of all. Although, oxygen is pretty fundamental too… 

So what are some natural remedies for preventing or treating dehydration symptoms? 

1. PRIORITIZE YOUR HYDRATION. Most of us simply overlook proper hydration as a priority in our busy lives. 
2. Drink water before you notice being thirsty. Once you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. 
3. Invest in a cup/tumbler/container that you love to carry and drink out of. Then carry it and drink out of it. All the time. 
4. Maybe you have a preferred beverage container, get a bigger one. You will give yourself a psychological advantage. 
5. Drink hypotonic sports drinks if you are engaging in periods of physical activity for longer than 60 minutes.
6. Add fruit to your water, like lemon or orange. Not only will this enhance the taste experience, but you will get additional vitamins and nutrients from the fruit. 

Stay hydrated, and feel better today, Y’all!