Introduction

Making sure your body is getting enough water is very important for maintaining good health, it:

• removes waste products from your body in urine
• lubricates your joints
• transports nutrients around your body
• controls your temperature
• helps your skin look good.

Tips to stay hydrated

As a basic guide, you should aim to drink six to eight glasses of fluid a day. Water, lower fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count!

The amount you should drink can vary from person to person depending on things like:

• your age - your body stores less water as you get older and your kidneys don’t work as well as they used to
• your level of physical activity - the more exercise you do, the more you need to drink
• your environment - you need to drink more if it's hot and you're sweating a lot or if you’re in a warm house or office with either central heating or air conditioning. Both air conditioning and central heating can dry the air.

You can find out more about water, drinks and your health on the NHS website.

Dehydration

If your body loses more fluids than you take in, you can become dehydrated. If this is not treated, it can get worse and become a serious problem.

Signs that you are dehydrated

You could be dehydrated if you:

• are feeling thirsty
• have dark yellow, strong smelling urine
• feel dizzy, lightheaded or tired
• have a dry mouth, eyes or lips
• urinate small amounts, and fewer than four times a day.

You can find out more about dehydration, including how to treat or reduce the risk of it, on the NHS website.