What are the harmful effects of not drinking enough water on the lungs?

The non-profit medical organization Mayo Clinic (USA) recommends that adults should drink about 2.7 - 3.7 liters of water/day. Drinking plenty of water brings many health benefits, from speeding up the digestive process, regulating body temperature, preventing kidney stones to improving respiratory health, according to the health website Healthline (USA).

Not drinking enough water can irritate your respiratory tract, causing coughs and infections.

It is important to drink enough water for your lungs to function properly. Only with enough water can your lungs perform complex tasks such as breathing, exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide.

However, drinking too little water will dehydrate the body and directly affect the respiratory system. The first effect is to reduce mucus secretion in the respiratory tract. Mucus is an important component in the mechanism to fight irritants, dirt and pathogens when air circulates into the lungs.

Dehydration forces the body to conserve available water, which reduces the amount of mucus in the respiratory tract. As a result, the respiratory tract becomes more susceptible to irritation, causing coughs and infections.

A study published in the journal Thorax found that when you are dehydrated, the elasticity of your lung tissue decreases. This means that your lungs’ ability to expand and contract when you breathe is reduced, making them less flexible and more susceptible to lung problems.

Dehydration can also have a more pronounced effect on the lungs if you have a respiratory condition, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, or asthma. Dehydration can worsen symptoms of these conditions, such as shortness of breath, coughing, and other discomforts. For example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease typically causes the airways to become narrowed and inflamed. Dehydration can further narrow the airways and make breathing more difficult.

A study published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation found that dehydration causes the mucus in the airways to become thicker. This makes it harder to breathe and can worsen asthma attacks and allergic reactions.

In healthy people, dehydration also negatively affects breathing, causing the airways to produce less mucus and become more susceptible to inflammation. All of these conditions narrow the airways and make breathing more difficult.

Additionally, drinking enough water is important for the function of transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Dehydration leads to a decrease in blood volume, making the blood thicker. This condition reduces the ability of the blood to transport oxygen.

To avoid dehydration, which can negatively impact respiratory function, the best way is to drink enough water. In addition, people also need to regularly eat foods that are high in water, especially fruits, according to Healthline .

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