How Does Dehydration Affect the Brain?

Dehydration occurs when the body does not have enough water to function properly. While few would expect dehydration to affect our brain, how hydrated you are can drastically affect your brain and how it functions

When your body is dehydrated, your brain is one of the most affected organs. Your brain is made up of 80% water. So when you aren't getting enough water, your brain tissue shrinks in size. This shrinkage can greatly impact how you feel and your overall bodily functions.

Thankfully, effects of dehydration on the brain can be reversed by rehydrating the body with fluids and electrolytes. By staying hydrated, we can help keep our brains healthy and efficient. In this blog, you’ll learn about 5 effects of dehydration on the brain and how you can stay hydrated.

1. Headaches

One of the most common effects of dehydration on the brain is a headache. Acknowledged by American Headache Society to be a possible trigger to any kind of headache, a dehydration headache can be felt in any region of the head. The intensity of the pain can also vary from intense migraines to a dull tension pulling from your forehead.

2. Mood Changes

Dehydration can bring you on an emotional rollercoaster. In 2012, a dehydration study from University of Connecticut found that mild dehydration causes adverse mood fluctuations. When your body loses just 1.5% of its normal water volume, people experience more anxiety, irritability and fatigue.

However, the human body only begins to feel thirsty when it has already lost 1-2% of its normal water volume. Thus, hydrating before you feel thirsty is the best way to prevent unpleasant mood changes.

3. Cognitive Ability

Of equal, if not greater concern, is evidence linking dehydration to a decrease in cognitive ability. Studies have found that when you are dehydrated, our ability to pay attention and concentrate is dulled. Additionally, our ability to process information and store it, or working memory, is also dulled. This, in turn, prevents us from important skills like reasoning and understanding information.

4. Body Coordination

The brain is in charge of our body coordination. So when the brain is experiencing dehydration, it can be difficult to maintain our balance and motor coordination. Combined with the other effects of dehydration on the brain, reduced body coordination can bring down your day and even cause injuries.

5. Sleep Issues

Dehydration can also be linked to sleep issues such as trouble falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night. During sleep the body takes time to repair itself and restore chemical balances so you’re ready for the day ahead. If you go to sleep dehydrated that can affect your body's restoration process and cause issues such as dry mouth and nose which can lead to snoring and a poor night's sleep.

Keep Your Mind Sharp with DripDrop

From how we feel to how we move, dehydration has an immense effect on the brain. However, hydrating our body and giving it the electrolytes it needs can prevent and reverse these effects.

With DripDrop’s patented formula has a precisely balanced ratio of glucose and electrolytes, you can replenish vital electrolytes and fluids to relieve dehydration quickly. DripDrop patented formula is trusted by people around the world to correct mild to moderate dehydration. Whether you’re on the go or sedentary, DripDrop’s convenient individual packaging makes it easy for you to rehydrate when you need to, where you need to.

Additionally, for those looking for dehydration relief without the sugar, DripDrop offers DripDrop Zero, a zero sugar option.

Get started with our most popular multi-flavor pouch of electrolyte powder for dehydration relief fast. Or, learn more about how you can save up to 25% on every purchase when you subscribe.