Help for a sneaky side effect of dehydration

Turns out being even a little dehydrated can have body-wide repercussions, including raising blood pressure. Here, experts explain the link and offer up easy solutions to ensure you're sipping enough

- JAYNE JACOVA FELD

When you’re thirsty, you sip from your trusty water bottle—but it’s not just thirst you’re quenching: You’re healing your whole body, says Joel Evans, M.D., founder and director of The Center for Functional Medicine in Stamford, Connecticut. “Water keeps our joints moving smoothly and our eyes moist, plus it helps with digestion, gets rid of body wastes and keeps our skin healthy,” he explains. “We die from thirst before starvation. That’s how much we need water to live.”

When you’re dehydrated—even slightly—the body releases a hormone called vasopressin, which helps it hold on to water. The trouble? Vasopressin also causes blood vessels to constrict, leading to an elevation in blood pressure, according to a study conducted at the Medical College of Georgia.

Plus, dehydration can thicken blood, says women’s health expert Mache Seibel, M.D. This can raise blood pressure by forcing the heart to work harder to keep blood circulating. And while dehydration is not a primary cause of chronic high blood pressure (hypertension), it can exacerbate the condition. “Hypertension is known as the silent killer because we’re mostly unaware when our blood pressure is dangerously high unless it’s being monitored,” he says. “It’s dangerous because exerting pressure on your organs can ultimately lead to serious conditions like kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.”