The human body is made up of about 70 per cent water. However, most of us fail to drink enough water every day. Water is such a vital ingredient to our general health and wellbeing and is something that we need to replace.

Whatever we are doing, we are losing water. When we breathe there is moisture released in our breath, water is released in sweat when we do anything physical.

It does not have to be pools which soak our clothes but can be a small amount released through the skin, which evaporates and cools us down. We obviously need to answer the calls of nature as well. So, all in all, daily life for our body can be like trying to carry water across the room in a colander.

So what are some of the things that can happen if we do not drink water?

It is not to dissimilar to boiling some water in a pan until there is no water left and keeping the pan on the heat, the water receptacle gets damaged. For short periods of time it can recover but with continuous treatment like this the pan will slowly burnt out, the human body is fairly similar.

The skin can age prematurely and lose some of its elasticity. It becomes dry and cracks, and is slower to heal. It can also be more susceptible to sunburn from over exposure to the sun's hot summer rays.

Headaches are often a classic sign that we are dehydrated, often the feeling is like a walnut that is drying its shell and pulling away from the inside of the skull. We can also become lethargic, irritable and far less effective at what we are doing.

We all know the effect of a water droplet hitting the surface of a pool of water, it sends ripples out across the pool. In the body it behave in a similar way, allowing cells to communicate with each other and pass on important messages. With lower water content this process is impaired and will work a lot slower.

Water can also work to flow around the body within the blood and lymph systems and carry away the waste products generated in the body.

If we continually fail to drink enough water every day, and thus do not flush through our systems, we are likely to start seeing the mineral deposits, such as, calcium building up in the kidneys, which can over time lead to kidney stones.

Stress levels can easily rise too when there is insufficient water in the body. With increased stress comes more dehydration, and so the circle begins once again.

Internal organs can also be affected in their performance with reduced water levels, not just the kidneys. It is almost like they are shrinking and retracting into the core of the body to try and survive the drought. This can lead to feelings of discomfort and also add to the physical sensations of stress.

Eyes can become sore, tired and red, and at this time of year this can exacerbate any hay fever reactions.

So what can you do?

In short make sure you drink regular amounts of water throughout the day, between two and three litres is what you should aim for.

Jon Critoph practice manager, MarlowComplementary Health Care jon@marlow-heal thcare.co.uk