{"id":20599,"date":"2023-06-30T10:21:11","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T15:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20599"},"modified":"2024-05-22T10:04:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T15:04:01","slug":"long-term-effects-of-chronic-dehydration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/long-term-effects-of-chronic-dehydration\/","title":{"rendered":"Long-term Effects of Chronic Dehydration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your body loses most of its fluids through processes like <\/span>sweating and urination<\/span><\/a>. When you don\u2019t replace those fluids \u2014 by <\/span>drinking water, fruit juice, or other beverages<\/span><\/a> \u2014 you can become dehydrated. Dehydration prevents your body from carrying out important processes like breathing, movement and digestion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctors often describe dehydration as acute or chronic, depending on how long it takes your body to lose fluids. Acute dehydration means your body is losing fluids quickly, often from exercise or sickness. Chronic dehydration occurs over a longer period and is often less noticeable. In either case, several different health issues can arise from dehydration that can affect your body both in the short and long term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kidney problems<\/h2>\n

Kidneys are fist-sized organs with an important role in the body: regulate fluid balances and filter out waste. The kidneys <\/span>filter a half cup of blood each minute<\/span><\/a> in a healthy body. They remove waste products to create urine while creating hormones that regulate blood pressure and red blood cell counts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dehydration <\/span>adds acids and waste products to the body<\/span><\/a>\u2014 waste that your kidneys must remove. This can force your kidneys into overdrive as they struggle to continually filter out unwanted chemicals. Over time, dehydration can <\/span>increase your risk for kidney stones<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>urinary tract infections<\/span><\/a> (UTIs). It can also cause kidney infections, which <\/span>results in scarring that affects blood pressure<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Persistent fatigue<\/h2>\n

Most processes in the body <\/span>require balanced fluids<\/span><\/a>. A fluid imbalance, or an entire lack of fluids, can cause oxygen levels in your blood to drop. As a result, your heart will work even harder to distribute oxygen to different parts of the body. Insufficient oxygenation is one of several <\/span>reasons why you might feel fatigued<\/span> when you don\u2019t drink enough liquid.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dehydration can also throw off your body\u2019s thermoregulation, or <\/span>internal temperature<\/span><\/a>. If your body is too hot or cold, your body will use large amounts of energy to restore appropriate temperatures. If your body is already low on fluids from exercise or outdoor temperatures, the use of energy for thermoregulation <\/span>can also create fatigue<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Muscle weakness<\/h2>\n

Hydration is a central ingredient for muscle use, even if you\u2019re not physically exercising. Dehydration can <\/span>reduce blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles<\/span><\/a> \u2014 quickly limiting your mobility. A lack of fluids can also lead to electrolyte imbalances, which often have the same effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frequent cramping<\/span>, particularly during or after strenuous exercise, can be a strong indicator of dehydration. This occurs when <\/span>plasma volumes drop without the right fluids<\/span><\/a>, throwing off your electrolyte balance and leading to muscle cramping.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dry and flaky skin<\/h2>\n

Some people who experience dehydration will also notice the onset of dry, flaky skin. During a fluid shortage, the heart sometimes <\/span>pulls blood toward muscles<\/span><\/a> and away from the skin. This protects vital organs but can leave skin without the moisture it needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

In most cases, <\/span>dehydration isn\u2019t the sole contributor<\/span> to skin dryness. Persistently dry or flaky skin is often the result of other factors. For example, <\/span>eczema, frequent hand washing and cold weather conditions<\/span> can all dry out the skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frequent headaches<\/h2>\n

Chronic dehydration can also have serious consequences for the brain. Like your heart, <\/span>73% of your brain is made of water<\/span><\/a>. Without constant hydration, it can experience a variety of negative health symptoms. In many cases, <\/span>frequent headaches<\/span><\/a> indicate that your body is low on fluids.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blood can become thicker with dehydration<\/span><\/a>. Thicker blood can\u2019t travel as easily through blood vessels, sometimes creating a shortage of blood in the brain that causes headaches. Electrolyte imbalances, also caused by dehydration, also <\/span>cause headaches<\/span><\/a> and other brain-related symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inconsistent or mild headaches can worsen with time as the body continues to lose fluids. This can eventually lead to more painful, constant headaches and symptoms like <\/span>brain shrinkage<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Constipation<\/h2>\n

Hydration also affects the systems in the body that control the bowels. Your digestive system, <\/span>particularly your colon<\/span><\/a>, relies on fluids to operate properly. Without those fluids, waste will be much more difficult to remove from the body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Traditionally, water <\/span>lubricates the walls of your digestive tract<\/span><\/a>, helping the body easily pass waste. A lack of fluids forces your colon to remove any excess water from waste, often causing painful bowel movements. <\/span>Muscles in the digestive system also weaken<\/span><\/a> without enough water, leading to slower evacuation times.<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes chronic dehydration?<\/h2>\n

Chronic dehydration is sometimes the result of not drinking enough water on a consistent basis. In other cases, the cause is environmental. A wide variety of factors can contribute to a person\u2019s chronic dehydration, including:<\/span><\/p>\n