Water Flashcards
What does water do?
- transportation of nutrients and wastes
- blood pressure regulation
- temperature regulation
Where can you get water from?
Many fruits and vegetables are abundant in water
What is water requirement based on?
Water requirement vary based on body size and activity level. A very active individual needs to drink more water because they lose water through sweating which is the body’s natural mechanism of losing heat
What are early symptoms of dehydration?
Thirst is a sign that you should drink fluids because of early dehydration. If dehydration becomes severe other symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and strong smelling dark yellow urine will become apparent
What are other functions of water in our body?
Water can also cushion our joints and lubricate our eyes
How do we lose water from our body?
We lose water by producing about 1.5 litres of urine a day, and 1 litre from breathing , sweating and excreting
How does the lack of water affect one’s brain?
If you sweat too much, your blood volume and pressure fall. Your brain then detects that change and makes you thirsty
What would occur after one to two days of no fluids?
First, your mouth becomes dry and your urine becomes darker and strong smelling because your body is attempting to conserve more fluids. Then, it starts to affect your brain. You will feel light-headed, your response time will be slower and you won’t be able to feel as much pain. After one or two days, you’ll stop peeing, have trouble swallowing and have muscle spasms and nausea. You will then become delirious and have a severely affected brain function. After even more time, the blood stops flowing to your skin reducing heat loss, but increasing you core body temperature. This may lead to a blue and gray tinge to you skin. Beyond three to five days without water, and your body will begin to shut down your organs and eventually the brain.
What happens if you drink too much water?
Drinking too much water can be toxic to the body because of an imbalance of water and salt that may occur
What are symptoms of water intoxication?
Symptoms of drinking too much water are confusion, convulsions and may, on rare occasion, even result in death
Compare the amount of electrolytes in water to the amount in the cells in your body. What is the function of electrolytes in the body?
There are very few electrolytes in water. Electrolytes allow your muscles and nerves to work properly and help to control blood pressure and blood volume
What causes cells to swell when somebody drinks too much water?
Your kidneys flush out any excess water, however, the kidneys can only excrete fluid at a certain rate. This means that consuming a lot of water in a short period of time creates a large concentration difference. As a result, water is drawn into the cells in an attempt to dilute the concentration and even out the proportion of electrolytes, and this causes the cells to swell
Why do 1/6 of marathon runners suffer mild cases of water intoxication?
1/6 of marathon runners suffer mild cases of water intoxication because under the extremes of athletic stress, the body attempts to conserve water. So not only are you taking more water in, you’re peeing less out
On average, what percentage of the body is water?
65%
