If you are a fan of Fela Kuti, among your memories will lie an old song titled, “water, e no get enemy” (i.e., water has no enemy).
On a very sunny day, after receiving lectures from 8am – 3pm, I hurriedly left the class to get a tricycle to transport me back to my hostel. I got down from the tricycle and had one hundred naira with me, so I wanted to buy a water sachet because I was thirsty. I went to a small stall, but the vendor told me she had no change. Rich kids must be looking at me with a bombastic side eye, saying why didn’t I get bottled one. Mehn, I had calculated what the remaining change could do for me.
I left the vendor’s place with a decision not to split the money but rather walk fast to my hostel so I could use it to transport myself back to school the next day. A few meters from my hostel, I was sweating profusely, and my tongue was dry. I was thirsty. I got to my hostel and hurriedly opened the tap situated outside. Oops, there was no water. I hurried to my room at the farthest block, unlocked my door, grabbed a sachet of water, and drank hastily. I felt revived and sat down, soliloquized, “Water no get enemy.”
Why You Should Hydrate
Being dehydrated is a serious issue. Water accounts for approximately 60% of the human body. Without body water, damage will be done to the body cells, blood vessels, etc.
Replenishing fluid lost through respiration, sweating, and urination causes the hypothalamus (a brain region) to stimulate a sensation called “thirst,” which drives us to take in water. You are said to be dehydrated when you lose more fluid than you take in.
Dehydration can either be severe, moderate, or mild.
Causes of Dehydration
Diarrhea and vomiting are significant causes of dehydration in children. In adults, it can be the little things. Vigorous exercise under hot weather, not drinking enough water because of busy schedules or sickness, and not taking water when traveling are the common causes.
Dehydration Symptoms and Signs
Dehydration symptoms and signs may differ due to age differences.
In babies or young children, sunken eyes, dry mouth, tongue, soft spots on top of the skull, and diapers not wet for three hours are signs of dehydration. In adults, dry mouth and tongue, confusion, extreme thirst, less frequent urination, and dark-colored urine indicate dehydration.
Dehydration can make the urine so concentrated that it becomes easy for stones to form. These stones can form in the kidney or outside, blocking urine flow and possibly leading to urinary tract infections (UTIs). There is also a connection between dehydration and dizziness. Dehydration can cause a substantial decline in blood pressure and oxygen levels, leading to dizziness.
Final Notes – Don’t Make Water Your Enemy
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine of the United States proposed an appropriate daily water consumption for males is around 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) and approximately 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women. Therefore, taking five 75cl bottles of water will help your body as a man, and taking four 75cl bottles will help your body as a woman.
Prevention, they say, is better than cure. Get a water bottle today, and keep it close to you always with clean water in it. Are you embarking on a long journey? Get a bottle of water along with you. #WINKS
Nice read!
I can relate to that feeling of thirst🥲 I usually take little/ no water in the morning and I usually feel tired later in the day…… thank you for this, will try to adhere