Water is the most important component of all living things. In an adult, it contains up to 65% of body weight, but it is unevenly distributed over organs and tissues:
- 92%in the blood;
- 75%in the brain, adipose tissues;
- 70%in muscles;
- 22%in the bones.
The main
part of water - about 70% is concentrated inside the cells, 7% is in the blood
and lymph, the rest is the intercellular fluid. Saturation of the body with
fluid occurs due to food, drinks and drinking water. A small amount of water is
formed in the body during the oxidation of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
It is impossible to overestimate the role of
water in the body. Survival without food in humans is 30–40 days, and in the
absence of water intake into the body and dehydration, death occurs in 3–7
days.
Water is directly or indirectly involved in all
vital processes occurring in the body: splitting, absorption, oxidation,
filtration, excretion and many others.
Water removes toxic metabolic products from
cells, delivers them to the liver and kidneys for final removal from the body.
Water is a universal solvent in which inorganic
and organic substances are in a molecular or colloidal state. It is in the form
of solutions that nutrients, biologically active compounds enter the cells and
metabolic products are excreted. Water with mineral salts dissolved in it is
necessary to maintain the osmotic pressure of blood and tissues. In addition,
water:
• Accumulates heat, which is formed as
a result of exothermic biochemical reactions, and participates in the processes
of thermoregulation (sweating).
• Participates in the process of
hydrolysis of fats, carbohydrates, the breakdown of proteins to amino acids.
• Supports electrolyte balance (salts
of sodium, potassium, chlorine and other minerals)
• It is part of
the synovial fluid of the joints.
Normally, a person loses 2-3 liters of water with air per day through the lungs, skin, along with urine and feces. An important condition for the normal functioning of organs and systems is the timely replenishment of the lost fluid. Dehydration develops as a result of a negative water balance, when the amount of liquid excreted exceeds the amount of water entering the body.
Reasons for dehydration:
1- Violation of
water intake into the body: water starvation, obstruction of the esophagus,
swallowing disorder, coma.
2- Increased fluid
loss: diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding, release of a large amount of exudate with
extensive burns.
3- Combination of these states.
Dehydration
of the body by 10% leads to physical and mental destabilization. A loss of 20%
can cause death.
Consequences of dehydration
The volume of circulating blood decreases (hypovolemia), its viscosity increases, which can lead to severe disorders of blood microcirculation. Circulatory disorders cause tissue hypoxia, primarily the central nervous system. The functions of the nerve centers suffer, the rhythm of breathing is disturbed, the body temperature rises. Manifestations of prolonged hypoxia of the brain are darkening of consciousness, hallucinations, development of coma.
With a significant decrease in blood pressure, filtration processes in the kidneys are disrupted, which is accompanied by oliguria, accumulation of nitrogenous bases in the urine and the development of acidosis.
All these pathological processes develop in diseases or in situations where there is no access to water (catastrophes, accidents).
Signs of lack of fluid / water in the body often increase gradually, especially when the lack of water is not associated with any pathologies, but is the result of insufficient replenishment of the fluid that is excreted naturally. The appearance of thirst already indicates the beginning of dehydration.
The severity of signs of a lack of fluid in the body directly depends on the amount of water that is not enough. Reducing water by 1-2% causes:
-
Feeling thirsty, dry mouth.
-
Headaches, dizziness. With dehydration, the
volume of circulating blood decreases, due to this, the flow of oxygen that
feeds the brain decreases.
-
The blood vessels of the brain expand
reflexively, edema appears, which, acting on receptors, causes headaches.
-
The development of asthenic syndrome: lethargy,
fatigue, increased irritability.
-
Decrease in the amount of urine separated, it
becomes more concentrated, acquires a dark yellow color.
-
Pain and limitation of joint mobility due to
insufficient production of synovial fluid.
-
An increase in blood pressure as a result of
blood clots.
-
Dryness, peeling and reduced elasticity of the
skin,
-
Tendency to constipation. With insufficient
hydration, the body seeks to preserve water as much as possible, including
adsorbing it from the rectum. The feces become hard and difficult to pass from
the rectum.
-
Violation of thermoregulation - an increase in
body temperature.
The formula for calculating the daily individual water requirement:
V = (M *
0.03) + (T * 0.04) - for women;
V=(M*0.04)
+ (T*0.06) - for men.
V - the rate of water in l, M - body weight, T - the time of active sports or hard physical labor.
How much
water an adult or a child should drink can be calculated using specially
designed tables.
Average
daily physiological need for water in children and adults.
|
Age |
The amount of liquid
per 1 kg, ml |
|
1–3 days |
80-100 |
|
3 months |
140-160 |
|
6 months |
130-150 |
|
1 year |
130-135 |
|
5 years |
Up to 100 |
|
10 years |
70-75 |
|
Adults |
30-45 |
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