Body fluid composition is important because bodies are made of fluid. Water is very important in moving blood to the different organs. Without water, a person dies in just a few days. People can go without food for much longer periods of time than they can go without water. Adult composition is about 60%, while baby’s is 75%.
Daily activities like exercising, using the bathroom, perspiring deplete our supply of water that needs replenishing for health and good performance. Illnesses can increase the loss of fluid.
Body fluids keep living things alive. Water is not the only fluid that the body needs. It is just the building block to many other necessary fluids. Fluids keep body parts moving.
When a person gets sick, doctors will take samples all of which contain water. Blood is a number one sample that doctors take to see about the health of their patients. The doctors take this blood from either the arteries or the veins. Blood samples provide doctors with details about the lungs, heart, and brain. They can tell how much gas is in the system and how well the organs function.
For other conditions, doctors take cerebrospinal fluid from the spine. This fluid flows through the head and spine. This fluid acts a pillow protecting the brain from injury. It also aids in maintaining blood pressure in the brain. Pleural fluid allows the lungs to work smoothly so a person can breathe. For pregnant women, amniotic fluid help protect the baby in her womb. In addition, it is a fluid that the baby inhales and exhales. This fluid helps the baby develop normally.
Body fluids are important for movement of the joints and muscles. If a person does not have enough water in their system, the joints do not work well. Part of the reason why the elderly have stiffness is because they do not drink enough to replenish the fluid they use. Marathoners know that if they do drink enough they will feel stiff and not run as quickly in the race.
Lack of body fluids leads to fatigue, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. Without the necessary fluids, people faint, can become disoriented, and get lost. Many people do not equate headaches with lack of water. They take pills when they should drink water.
The proper fluid balance makes everyone healthier. It has the added benefited of cooling people down when it is too hot outside. Drinking liquids without caffeine can warm a person up when the temperatures are very cold.
