Why does drinking liquids help when you are sick

You're sick and everyone seems to tell you to drink plenty of water. You — being an inquisitive sort — lie in your bed with the covers pulled up to your neck and wonder, "Why do I have to drink water?

Several legitimate reasons may be given for why drinking plenty of water is a good idea when you're sick, all of which relate to the prevention of dehydration and its adverse health effects. You need to drink plenty of water when you're sick to stay hydrated and relieve your symptoms. When you are sick, you may not feel like eating or drink anything.

Your body, however, requires a minimum amount of water each day to function normally and clear toxins — regardless of whether you're sick or well. You may find liquids more appealing than solid foods when you're under the weather, so that may help. To meet your daily requirements , shoot for a minimum of approximately one gallon of water daily if you're a man, and roughly three quarts if you're a woman. If you are vomiting, have diarrhea or a fever , try to increase your fluid intake to make up for these additional losses of body water.

This liquid deficit needs to be made up by drinking more water or incorporating an electrolyte-infused beverage, such as Absopure Plus. Try getting proactive in your recovery from the common cold by turbocharging the cleansing and detoxifying process, water will help your body heal and get you feeling good again. Looking for a more convenient way to stay hydrated this cold and flu season? Let Absopure deliver great tasting Absopure water direct to your doorstep.

Because cold and flu symptoms like runny noses and sweating, which often accompanies fever, increase the amount of water your body loses, dehydration might occur if your fluid intake is not increased to compensate. So if you are ill, drink plenty of water, juice, or soup. This will help loosen up the mucus in your nose and head. This is especially true when you're indoors and the heat is turned on.

Asking people to increase their fluid intake, however, has little to do with "healing" a cold or flu. A common belief is that everyone should aim to drink about eight glasses of water per day—roughly 64 ounces—but recent studies have called that target into question, suggesting that much water may not be necessary.

When in doubt, it helps to just use common sense: If you're thirsty or if your urine is darker than a shade of pale or light yellow, you should probably have some water, says Edward Bernacki, a physician and executive director of healthcare solutions at Dell Medical School at University of Texas at Austin.

Early signs of dehydration include—obviously—increased thirst, but also feeling weak, not urinating a normal amount, and fatigue. More severe symptoms include confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, and rapid heart rate. If you fear you may have serious dehydration, Banach recommends being evaluated in the emergency department in case you need intravenous fluids.