Dehydration is one of the worst conditions anyone can suffer from. Not only does it have the power to heavily impair someone's abilities, lack of hydration can also be fatal in certain cases. Unfortunately, summer is often linked with dehydration, and with the lineup of festivals due to take place this summer in the UK including Cornbury, V Festival, Reading Festival and more recently Glastonbury, hydration is of the utmost importance for anyone attending the festivities.

drink more water Summer Sun Essentials

Signs of Dehydration

More often than not, dehydration is synonymous with tiredness. People that are dehydrated do not have full control of their mental capacities; they feel tired, slow and sluggish. The more dehydrated they become, the harder it becomes for them concentrate. Dizziness and light-headedness are also known to accompany a lack of hydration. Some people may find they are unable to sweat and may notice a change in the colour of their urine when they need to drink more water. Headaches are also frequent among dehydrated people, the intensity of those varying according to the level of dehydration.

Dangers of Dehydration

Dehydration can have some serious effects on the human body and should never be taken lightly. The human body, after all, is made of approx. 75% water. When a person's body begins running out of water, their organs start having difficulty performing their normal functions. Losing too much fluid has been known to cause fainting, fever and even difficulty breathing in certain people. Also, many other conditions occur as a result of chronic dehydration. Constipation, joint pains, asthma and even allergies are some of the many examples.

How to Avoid Dehydration

It comes as no surprise that the key to avoid dehydration is to drink more water. Since a person is dehydrated as soon as they begin feeling thirsty, hydration should come first and foremost on their list of things to do when the weather is warm. Consuming foods that have a high content of water such as watermelons also helps the body in staying hydrated. Those two measures should be enough to prevent dehydration on an everyday basis. In case of extreme heat, it is recommended that people dress lightly and avoid standing in the sun for prolonged period of times. It is also important to drink more water as temperatures rise.

Staying Hydrated at Festivals

Festivals are fun and people find they quite quickly forget to drink water! In order to avoid dehydration, people are recommended to drink more water and carry a water bottle with them all the time. They should aim to drink two liters of water every day – and drink even more water on particularly warm and sunny days. Not only will they find themselves feeling a lot better and being able to focus more, they will also be able to enjoy the festival in a whole new way.