Not drinking enough water can damage your kidneys, here's how

Water is the "elixir of life" because it makes up more than 60 percent of your body. Your kidneys use it to filter out waste and fluids, and maintain homeostasis. When kidneys don't have enough water to filter, the body must work harder to filter things out, weakening the kidneys' delicate filtering structures, and preparing for long-term effects.

Chronic dehydration is more than just feeling thirsty every now and then. It can cause kidney stones, infections, and ultimately kidney failure which is life threatening. Missing a few cups of water occasionally does not do immediate harm, but the impact over the weeks, months and years becomes severe.

Says Dr Raghav Menon, a Delhi-based nephrologist and renal health specialist, "Consider it like a coffee filter — the filter will clog without sufficient water, waste will start to accumulate, and the entire system will begin breaking down."

Also read | Types and symptoms of Kidney diseases, 6 prevention tips

Here are 8 major kidney problems you invite if you don't drink enough water

• Kidney Stones

Drinking insufficient water causes urinations to be concentrated with minerals, thus increasing the risk of crystals that can become painful stones.

• Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Not drinking enough water equals less time spent in the bathroom, allowing bacteria the chance to stick around and proliferate in the urinary tract.

• Reduced Kidney Filtration Efficiency

When the body loses water, less blood flows to the kidneys, where a significant portion of toxin filtration and balancing of fluids occurs.

• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Chronic stress due to dehydration causes kidney injuries and this increases the risk for CKD.

Also read | Silent symptoms of poor kidney function: Watch out for high blood pressure, itching, swelling in legs

• Electrolyte Imbalances

Water is required for maintaining correct levels of sodium, including potassium and other electrolytes in the body, but excess loss of water cause imbalance which, in turn, makes muscles and nerves trouble.

• Increased Blood Pressure

Small drinking water potential may set off fluid retention and the hormonal changes that make blood strain greater — detrimental to kidney health.

• Accumulation of Toxins

If we don't pee enough, our blood gets full of waste products and we feel tired, nauseous, and like our kidneys are complaining.

• Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)

A sudden fall in kidney function due to very severe dehydration can happen, and this can result in a need for hospitalisation and irreversible damage to the kidneys.

Hydration is one of the least expensive, easiest measures you can take to preserve renal health over your life spans, from fighting off kidney stones to protecting yourself from catastrophic injuries.

Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis.