Water Education - Water and Health

Water and dry eyes / skin

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Picture a dry, scaly, cracking desert. Then, picture what water can do to moisten the land. Skin, for some, can be a dry terrain as well.

Many factors can cause dry eyes and skin, however, one of the most overlooked solutions is drinking water. Dehydration is becoming more and more of a contributor to health issues today, with studies finding that everything from allergies to chronic fatigue may be linked to something we all have plenty of "drinking water." Dryness included.

Dehydrated Skin

Drinking plenty of water "not soda, juice, or other beverages" can help ease the discomfort of dry eyes and skin. Experts say that we need up to eight glasses a day of water, and if other factors exist, like living in a hot, dry environment, taking antihistamines, exercising, or drinking alcohol, our need for water increases. For people with skin conditions, experts recommend up to two quarts of water every day. As a matter of fact, when you ingest water it does not go straight to the skin. It goes through the intestines, gets absorbed by your bloodstream, and is filtered by your kidneys. Then it hydrates cells. When it comes to moisturizing skin there is not much left, this is why it is important to always be sipping on water throughout the day.

Exercising and hot weather makes us sweat; it’s our body’s way of keeping our internal temperature down, so we must increase our water intake during these situations. Diet can play a role in strengthening your skin’s ability to maintain moisture too. Eating foods high in essential fatty acids found in walnuts, flaxseed, salmon, and olive oil can help the skin stay hydrated.

In some cases, however, water also can actually cause dry eyes and skin. Chlorine is added to most drinking water supplies to kill bacteria and other potentially harmful agents that seep into lakes, rivers, streams or groundwater. However, chlorine, and other chemicals in your water, the very chemical there to help in one area, could be causing problems for you every time you shower or relax in a hot bath.

Anyone who has ever gotten green hair or burning eyes from a swimming pool knows the effects chlorine can have on our bodies. The amounts of chlorine in drinking water are much lower, but it can still have the same, although milder effects, when we shower with it, including dry eyes and skin.

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