Dehydration - Essay 3
Dehydration
Sci/241
Abbe Breiter-Fineberg
4/1/2012
Passing out, lethargy, constipation, dry mouth and even dry eyes are very few symptoms in the long list of signs to tell us that we are dehydrated. Being dehydrated is potentially very bad and if not taken care of a person can end up in the hospital or even dying. Many things can cause dehydration including drinking too much alcohol or simply not drinking enough water. Without ample amounts of water our bodies cannot function correctly, and being made up of 70% water it is understandable as to why this is the case. All people suffer from dehydration, it does not affect one age group more than another, and likewise it does not affect one race or gender more than the others do. Plainly, put, if enough water is not drank everyday than a person is at risk for becoming dehydrated and developing symptoms that can be quite uncomfortable. First, some of the functions of water in the body are to keep everything moist, from our eyes to our mouths, and even our joints. Imagine trying to eat food without the assistance of the saliva our bodies produce, it would be very difficult to have to swallow dry, chewed up food. Urine becomes dark yellow, with a strong ammonia smell and constipation is common; the lack of water causes the stool to become more solid and less liquid-y because the body is pulling water from every available resource. The recommended amount of water that the average person should drink is eight – 8oz cups of water per day. That is a half-gallon of water every day that people are supposed to be drinking, more often than not soda and coffee is being drank instead, which sure they have water in them…just not the recommended amount that we need. Next, dehydration affects people of all ages, from little children to grown adults, to even the elderly. In children, dehydration causes tiredness and grumpiness, even the sensation of being hungry, or the craving for something unknown. In adults,
Sci/241
Abbe Breiter-Fineberg
4/1/2012
Passing out, lethargy, constipation, dry mouth and even dry eyes are very few symptoms in the long list of signs to tell us that we are dehydrated. Being dehydrated is potentially very bad and if not taken care of a person can end up in the hospital or even dying. Many things can cause dehydration including drinking too much alcohol or simply not drinking enough water. Without ample amounts of water our bodies cannot function correctly, and being made up of 70% water it is understandable as to why this is the case. All people suffer from dehydration, it does not affect one age group more than another, and likewise it does not affect one race or gender more than the others do. Plainly, put, if enough water is not drank everyday than a person is at risk for becoming dehydrated and developing symptoms that can be quite uncomfortable. First, some of the functions of water in the body are to keep everything moist, from our eyes to our mouths, and even our joints. Imagine trying to eat food without the assistance of the saliva our bodies produce, it would be very difficult to have to swallow dry, chewed up food. Urine becomes dark yellow, with a strong ammonia smell and constipation is common; the lack of water causes the stool to become more solid and less liquid-y because the body is pulling water from every available resource. The recommended amount of water that the average person should drink is eight – 8oz cups of water per day. That is a half-gallon of water every day that people are supposed to be drinking, more often than not soda and coffee is being drank instead, which sure they have water in them…just not the recommended amount that we need. Next, dehydration affects people of all ages, from little children to grown adults, to even the elderly. In children, dehydration causes tiredness and grumpiness, even the sensation of being hungry, or the craving for something unknown. In adults,
References: Retrieved from: (2010) Guidelines for a Healthy Diet: Prentice Hall