Dehydration occurs when your body does not have enough fluids to perform its normal functions. Your body loses more water and other fluids than it takes in, leading to a potentially serious medical condition. Excessive sweating, the use of diuretics, excessive alcohol use, serious diarrhea, fever, and vomiting can cause dehydration. Failure to drink fluids during exercise or in hot weather also can cause dehydration.

While dehydration can happen to anyone, children, the elderly, and people with serious illnesses are at special risk for dehydration. Fluids should be replaced in the body before dehydration occurs. Your body provides several warning signs when it becomes dehydrated: thirst, mouth dryness, headache, or muscle weakness are just a few.

When even a small percentage of water in the body is lost, every bodily function suffers. Symptoms of chronic dehydration will begin to appear when the body loses as little as two to three percent of total body water. Similar to Planet Earth, the human body is, on average, about 75 percent water. When dehydrated, the body will begin to ration water.

The average adult loses about 10 cups water every day simply by breathing, sweating, urinating, and eliminating waste, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Researchers also estimate that 50 to 75 percent of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration and don't realize it. This is partly because the symptoms of chronic dehydration are often mistaken for illness.

According to Dr. Dave Carpenter, author of Change Your Water, Change Your Life, the following are 12 of the more common symptoms of chronic dehydration:

Fatigue, constipation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid-alkaline imbalance, digestive disorders, asthma and allergies, weight gain, skin disorders, joint pain or stiffness, bladder or kidney problems, and premature aging.

As one of the doctors at Disk and Spine Northwest in Coeur d'Alene, the one common denominator that I have seen in our disc patients is dehydration! At birth, 80 percent of the disc is composed of water. In order for the disc to function properly, it must be well hydrated. The nucleus pulposus is the major carrier of the body's axial load and relies on its water-based contents to maintain strength and pliability. Over time, spinal discs dehydrate and become stiffer, causing the disc to be less able to adjust to compression. While this is a natural aging process, as the disc degenerates in some individuals, it can become painful. Without a blood supply, the disc does not have a way to repair itself, and pain created by the damaged disc can last for years.

So, how much fluid does the average healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Dr. Wayne Fichter is the lead doctor at Disk and Spine Northwest, a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation center specializing in the treatment of serious, chronic back pain, acute injuries and postural/scoliosis problems. Contact him at diskandspinenorthwest.com or (208) 215-3261.