Dehydration of the Organism - Essay Example

Introduction Dehydration is a condition that results when the quantity of water lost by the body is more than the quantity taken by the body. To prevent dehydration and promote proper functioning of body organs people should have a regular intake of water. This essay will therefore analyze the importance of water in the maintenance of proper functioning for a healthy body. Secondly, the essay will analyze causes of dehydration and the importance of potassium, sodium, and chloride as body electrolyte. Finally, the essay will focus on the effects of caffeine and alcohol on the body hydration level and important measures that prevent dehydration. Life and water are two related things and dependent factors, scientists argue that existence of water implies availability of life. This is the broad perspective on the importance of water however; the issue can narrow down to the importance of water in our bodies. It has been established that on average a human body is composed of 75% water as a percentage of total weight (Nazarko, 2007). This implies that water forms a major component of our bodies and therefore it is essential for survival. Without water, essential body functions will be affected and therefore the body needs daily water intake to maintain proper functioning of these essential organs. Healthy life is important for all people and therefore people should strive to ensure that they live healthy lives. Scientific research conducted in the past has proved that water is important for healthy living. To begin with, our bodies require water to replace the water lost during metabolism, this includes water lost during elimination of metabolic waste, sweating and breathing. To maintain health lives, human bodies require maintaining or having constant temperature. Maintenance of constant body temperature is the next important function of water in the maintenance of healthy lives. Maintenance of constant temperatures in our bodies occurs through sweating in hot temperatures a process that requires water. Sweating process not only cools the body but it eliminates metabolic wastes from the body. The ability to dissolve a variety of components is an important characteristic of water that makes it a suitable medium through which the body excretes metabolic wastes. To maintain good health, our bodies require being in good shape and posture and in this process water is an essential requirement. Our body’s cells require water to maintain turgidity and this contribute to the overall body shape and posture. Finally, intracellular transport is important in maintaining healthy body and the process requires water as an important medium through which essential components are transported across body cells (Nazarko, 2007). Finally the chemical balance of body components is important in maintaining healthy bodies, these components includes salts, electrolytes and other chemical components required in the maintenance of good cells and organ functioning. Water has several functions in the body that are of varying importance these functions however are essential in maintaining healthy bodies. Lack of water in the body or having insufficient water in the body interferes with these functions making the body to exhibit symptoms as dehydrations. The main faction of Water in the body is metabolic transport, this include transportation of essential body components such as nutrients and the transportation of waste products from the cells to excretory organs. Water serves as a solvent through which components in transits dissolve before being taken to the respective cells and organs. The second important function of water in the body is the cooling process this process is achieved through sweating. When sweat evaporates from the body surface, it carries away excessive body heat resulting in a cooling effect. Dehydration is a condition experienced when the body loses more water than it gains. This condition occurs when an individual is having insufficient intake of water though drinking or loses water uncontrollably. Body water is lost through sweating, breathing and during elimination of wastes from the body. To replace water lost through these processes constant water intake is required. The daily water intake for a person depends on several factors such as the weather condition and the weight of the individual. This implies that people should consume as much water as the body requires or as advised by health personnel. Lack of sufficient water in the body or the imbalance between water intake and loss is also caused through loss of body fluids resulting from illnesses. This condition results from vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive loss of blood. Loss of excessive water from the body is a severe condition that may result into death if it is not rectified. Water lost from the body through loss of body fluids also causes the body to lose important chemical components such as solutes and electrolytes. Sodium, potassium calcium, and chloride are some of the most important body chemical components that are lost through loss of body fluids. Sodium and potassium are the most important of the electrolytes since they are required in larger quantities and any deficiency is critical for the body. When a person looses a lot of water through loss of body fluids, people often make a mistake by giving them plenty of pure water and this often deteriorate the condition by creating a chemical imbalance. Chloride are negatively charged ions found in the blood and other body fluids and they are essential for proper functioning of the body. Chloride ions are responsible for proper function of essential body organs such as the kidney, heart and the liver. Unlike chloride ions, potassium ions are positively charged ions found inside the body cells. Potassium ions are responsible for proper functioning of body cells and the nervous system. Being the most important electrolyte sodium ions are responsible for maintaining proper functioning of cells and vital organs. Sodium deficiency causes Goitre a condition that results in the swelling of thyroid glands. The three electrolytes are essential for proper body functioning and they are closely related to the amount of water in the body. For the body to function optimally it requires an appropriate quantity of these electrolytes. Caffeine and alcohol are components that are commonly consumed by most people, although these substances are important to a certain degree in proper functioning of the body, excessive consumption might be fatal. Excessive consumption of these substances makes the body to respond by excretion mainly through urination. In the process, water acts as a solvent that dissolve the substance being eliminated from the body. This process reduces hydration level of the body and the case can be fatal following an excessive consumption of these substances (Plowman, & Smith, 2006). As much as water is essential for life it is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that that their bodies have sufficient amount of water. Ensuring that the body has sufficient amount of water requires taking measures that prevent excessive loss of water as well as maintaining regular water intake. The first step to counter dehydration is regular water intake; this takes place through drinking of pure water of beverages. This process will ensure that the body replenishes water lost from the body during metabolic processes. The second step to counter dehydration is prevention of excessive loss of water; this can be achieved by avoiding events that can lead into excessive sweating such as strenuous exercise and high temperatures (Plowman, & Smith, 2006). Finally, people should seek medical advice from qualified medical practitioners when suffering from severe cases of diarrhea and vomiting to avoid excessive loss of water from the body. People suffering from such conditions should ensure that they drink sufficient amount of water to replace the lost quantity and get immediate treatment. References Nazarko, L. 2007. NVQs in nursing and residential care Homes. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Plowman, S. & Smith, D. 2006. Exercise Physiology for Health, Fitness, and Performance. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Read More