Remember to Drink the Water When ...
- Madhukar Dama
- 17 hours ago
- 11 min read
A list of situations, symptoms, and illnesses where simply drinking clean, sufficient water can help prevent, reduce, or even completely heal the problem — especially in India’s climate, diet, and lifestyle.
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🌞 DAILY LIFE SYMPTOMS
(Often misdiagnosed or medicated unnecessarily)
1. You wake up tired, not refreshed – likely dehydration from overnight.
2. You feel dizzy when getting up suddenly – could be low hydration and salt imbalance.
3. You have persistent bad breath – dry mouth = less saliva = bacterial growth.
4. You feel low on energy by afternoon – chronic under-hydration.
5. You have dark yellow urine – classic sign of dehydration.
6. You keep getting headaches – dehydration is a top cause.
7. You are irritable, moody for no reason – even mild dehydration affects mood.
8. You keep craving sugar or tea/coffee – body is often asking for water, not food.
9. Your lips and mouth are dry – obvious but ignored sign.
10. You feel bloated after meals – water helps digestion and emptying of stomach.
11. You get constipated often – water is the best natural stool softener.
12. You urinate infrequently – water intake is too low.
13. You have dry, flaky skin – no cream works if inner hydration is missing.
14. You feel too lazy to walk or move – water improves cell metabolism.
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🧠 MENTAL & COGNITIVE
(Especially among students, screen users, office workers)
15. You can’t focus for more than a few minutes – brain is 75% water.
16. You get anxious or panicky suddenly – dehydration triggers stress hormones.
17. You forget simple things – brain fog often linked to dehydration.
18. Your sleep is poor and broken – dehydration causes nighttime cortisol spikes.
19. You get mental fatigue doing simple tasks – low hydration reduces neural efficiency.
20. You feel overwhelmed easily – nervous system overload, worsened by low water.
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🍽️ DIGESTIVE ISSUES
(Common in Indian diets – spicy, heavy, irregular meals)
21. You suffer from acidity/heartburn – water dilutes acid and helps empty stomach.
22. You get frequent gas or indigestion – dehydration slows digestion.
23. You don’t feel hungry – dehydration dulls hunger signals.
24. You feel overly full even after small meals – delayed gastric emptying due to dehydration.
25. You pass hard stools or skip motion – classic water-deficiency issue.
26. You depend on jeera, ajwain, pudina, or ENO – water is often enough.
27. You get piles/hemorrhoids – water prevents straining and hard stools.
28. You get mouth ulcers often – linked to gut dryness and poor hydration.
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💧SKIN, HAIR, BEAUTY
(Where people overspend on creams, shampoos, or salon fixes)
29. Your skin is dry and cracked – no cream works if internal dryness exists.
30. Your eyes look sunken and tired – classic dehydration sign.
31. You get acne outbreaks often – water flushes skin toxins.
32. Your hair feels dry, brittle, breaks easily – scalp dehydration.
33. You use lip balm 5 times a day – lips show water deficiency first.
34. You keep getting dandruff or itchy scalp – try water before shampoos.
35. You feel your skin is ‘aging fast’ – dehydration ages collagen fibers.
36. You have dark circles – often linked to water-salt imbalance.
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🫁 RESPIRATORY ISSUES
(Especially in hot climates or polluted areas)
37. You get dry throat or dry cough – throat lining needs water to heal.
38. You get sinus headaches – sinuses need hydration to drain.
39. You snore or breathe through mouth – nasal passages dry out when dehydrated.
40. You feel tightness in chest – thick mucus builds up in dry lungs.
41. You get frequent colds – mucosal immunity is weakened by dehydration.
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🧬 CHRONIC ILLNESSES & LONG-TERM HEALTH
(Where water helps improve baseline healing)
42. You have diabetes – water helps control blood sugar and flush excess glucose.
43. You have high blood pressure – hydration reduces blood viscosity.
44. You suffer from kidney stones – water prevents crystal formation.
45. You get frequent UTIs – flushing bladder regularly is key.
46. You have arthritis – joints are lubricated by water.
47. You get swelling in feet (edema) – paradoxically, dehydration causes fluid retention.
48. You have gout – water dilutes and flushes excess uric acid.
49. You feel heat boils or skin eruptions in summer – water cools the liver and blood.
50. You have PCOD or irregular periods – dehydration worsens hormone imbalance.
51. You are recovering from fever or infection – water is foundational detox support.
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🧒 CHILDREN'S ISSUES
(Often mistaken for behavioral problems or nutrition deficiencies)
52. Your child gets cranky for no reason – often just thirsty.
53. Your child is slow to learn or focus – brain dehydration.
54. Your child has frequent constipation – water is the first remedy.
55. Your child gets headaches at school – caused by low water or skipped hydration.
56. Your child resists eating food – dry body = low appetite.
57. Your child gets hyperactive, then suddenly dull – dehydration spikes cortisol and crashes.
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🩸 WOMEN’S HEALTH
(Before jumping to hormones, pills or cosmetics)
58. You get breast tenderness before periods – water helps flush lymphatic congestion.
59. You get bloating during PMS – dehydration leads to water retention paradox.
60. You get cramps during periods – smooth muscle function improves with hydration.
61. You get dullness, fatigue after period – body’s recovery depends on water intake.
62. You suffer from vaginal dryness – overall fluid imbalance.
63. You get frequent white discharge – dehydration alters vaginal flora balance.
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😩 EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WHERE WATER HELPS IMMEDIATELY
64. Heat stroke symptoms – headache, giddiness, dry mouth.
65. Food poisoning / vomiting – water with a pinch of salt and sugar helps rehydration.
66. Fainting spells – often corrected with water + rest.
67. Post loose motion fatigue – body needs rehydration.
68. Burning sensation in urine – flushes out toxins.
69. Migraine aura building up – water may reduce onset.
70. After sun exposure or long travel – water reboots system.
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🧘♂️ SPIRITUAL & ENERGETIC STATES
(Water supports clarity and self-awareness)
71. You feel disconnected from self or dull – dehydration affects energy flow.
72. You get angry easily – fire element increases with dryness.
73. You feel ungrounded, restless – water brings cool heaviness.
74. You can’t meditate properly – dry body = distracted mind.
75. You feel too “stuck” or sluggish – water helps subtle detox and flow.
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🌿 NATURAL HEALING PRACTICES WHERE WATER IS THE FOUNDATION
76. Fasting – water fasting or even partial fasting relies on clean water intake.
77. Detox periods – water is the carrier of toxins out of cells.
78. Oil pulling, salt water gargling – benefits double with proper hydration.
79. Castor oil therapy – water supports liver and lymphatic drainage.
80. Clay/mud packs – hydration improves effect by keeping elimination pathways open.
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💡 REMEMBER:
Water is not a cure-all, but lack of water is the cause of more than half your everyday problems.
Your body is 65–70% water – and everything from your joints, gut, brain, skin, and kidneys runs on water.
Drink slowly, in small sips, throughout the day. Warm or room temperature water is best.
Early morning, pre-meal, and post-walk are excellent times to rehydrate naturally.
Don’t wait for thirst. Thirst is a late signal.
Clean water, stored in clay/steel/glass. Avoid plastic and RO-dead water if possible.
HEALING DIALOGUE
A Glass of Water Would Have Solved It
Characters:
Madhukar – Rural healer, calm, dry wit, logical, in his 50s
Ravi – 35, IT worker, addicted to caffeine, chronically tired
Lalitha – 40, schoolteacher, suffers from constipation, bloating, tea addict
Shiva – 45, bus conductor, has piles, chronic headaches, avoids water due to toilet access
Priya – 30, gym enthusiast, into health drinks, complains of migraines
Anju (10) – Madhukar’s daughter, brutally honest, funny
Adhya (14) – Madhukar’s elder daughter, composed, observant, inquisitive
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Scene 1: Early Morning, Madhukar’s Courtyard
The sun has just begun to rise. Birds chirp. In the courtyard, there's a large clay pot with cool water. Everyone sits around Madhukar, sleepy-eyed, slouched, clearly unwell.
Ravi (groaning): I swear, I slept eight hours but still woke up like I got hit by a tempo.
Lalitha (sipping tea): My stomach hasn’t moved in two days. I've eaten bananas, jeera water, even that ayurvedic powder from my cousin. Nothing.
Shiva (squirming): Don’t talk about stomachs. My piles are back. Sitting is war.
Priya (rubbing her forehead): I did legs and cardio yesterday. Protein shake after. Still this throbbing headache.
Madhukar (quietly, smiling): Mmm. All this suffering... yet one simple question was never asked.
Anju (grinning): Let me guess... "Did you drink enough water?"
Everyone laughs.
Madhukar: Laugh, but I’m serious. You all have what I call functional dehydration.
Ravi: What, like medical dehydration?
Adhya: No, Appa means your body isn’t dry like a desert, but your cells are parched.
Madhukar: You replaced water with tea, Pepsi, cold drinks, whey protein, fear of public toilets... now your body’s protesting.
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Scene 2: The Confessions
Lalitha: At school, the staff toilet is always locked. I avoid water till I return home. I drink tea to keep my mouth busy.
Ravi: If I drink water in the morning, I’ll need to go every hour. Boss already watches me like a hawk.
Priya: Honestly, I drink everything but water. Almond milk, shakes, detox juices.
Shiva: On my route, there are no clean toilets. I hold it in. I sweat, burn, then wonder why my head hurts.
Madhukar (dryly): You treat water like guilt. Avoid it until the damage is visible.
Anju (cheerful): Amma says Lalitha Aunty’s lips look like papad in summer.
Everyone chuckles.
Madhukar: Truth is bitter. But your body doesn’t lie. Constipation, fatigue, acidity, mood swings, low energy – all can trace back to dehydration.
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Scene 3: A Demonstration
Madhukar brings a large steel tumbler and pours room temperature water from a clay pot. Each person drinks slowly. There’s silence. Then burps, sighs, relaxation.
Lalitha (wide-eyed): I actually feel lighter. Like my brain fog just cleared.
Ravi: Is it possible that just water... made me feel this better?
Madhukar: Not possible. It’s factual. You're 70% water. But you treat water like an optional app.
Priya: My trainer gives me pre-workout, post-workout, but never told me to just sip plain water.
Shiva: This water tastes better than all my fancy mineral bottles. Feels...alive.
Adhya: That's because it's been resting in clay. It cools, recharges. Plastic bottles only look smart.
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Scene 4: Satire and Truth
Madhukar: We have apps to track breathing, but none to track sipping. We get blood tests, CT scans, vitamin injections... but never check how many days we’ve gone under-hydrated.
Ravi: My smartwatch tracks steps, not sips.
Lalitha: I spend 500 rupees a month on herbal teas. Water was free all along!
Shiva: I kept applying creams for dry skin. Never thought it was an inside drought.
Anju: Amma says we even shout more when we're dry. Maybe all fights are just thirsty minds?
Madhukar: Maybe your whole society is dehydrated. Physically, emotionally, spiritually.
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Scene 5: The Routine
Madhukar: Want to heal?
2 glasses upon waking
1 glass 30 min before meals
1 glass after bowel movement
1 after returning from work
And a glass whenever you remember throughout the day!
Sip throughout the day. No gulping. Room temp. Stored in clay, steel, or glass.
Priya: No cold water? Not even post-workout?
Madhukar: Cold water shocks the gut. You want healing, not drama.
Lalitha: This feels like something I can actually do.
Ravi: And teach my son. He drinks nothing all day.
Adhya: I stopped getting mouth ulcers after I followed this.
Anju: I made a cardboard sign for the kitchen: "Before panic, sip water."
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Scene 6: Epilogue
Later that month:
Lalitha starts a "hydration bell" in her school staff room.
Ravi builds a small clay pot corner in his office with a Post-it: "Drink like your grandmother did."
Shiva gifts bottles to other conductors. Begins sipping during breaks.
Priya writes a blog: "Your Migraine is Probably Thirsty".
Madhukar (in his notebook): "No tablets. No appointments. Just remembrance. The first medicine was always water."
Remember to Drink the Water When…
you forgot again.
three days in a row.
no water, just three chai, two coffees,
and that toxic fizzy brown shit they sell in stores
near the paanwallah.
and now your head feels like an unpaid loan.
the lips crack first.
then the back tightens.
your neck starts whispering things
your therapist could never name.
and you blame it on "stress" or "the weather."
but it’s just that you
forgot to drink
the damn water again.
drink the water when—
your morning starts in slow motion,
your feet hit the ground
like wet laundry.
when even the sunrise
doesn’t wake you up.
drink the water when—
your mouth feels like
the inside of an old postbox,
and your breath could peel
paint off the temple wall.
drink the water when—
you think you need sugar.
you don’t.
you’re thirsty, not hungry.
you’re dry, not weak.
your stomach is just confused
in this fake, fried, white rice mess
called modern living.
drink the water when—
your kid throws a tantrum for no reason.
his brain’s not broken.
he just needs a glass
not a label
not therapy
not a scolding
just a good long pull
of plain water.
drink it—
before your next tea,
before your fourth WhatsApp scroll,
before your boss tells you again
that your reports lack “clarity.”
drink it—
when your nose is full,
your chest is tight,
your phlegm feels like
factory glue
and no vicks or syrup
brings relief.
drink it—
when you’re walking around like a ticking bomb
with an acid factory bubbling inside.
you think it's “spicy food”?
no, it’s your damn dry digestive pipe
screaming for moisture
like an old handpump in May.
drink it—
when you can’t remember the name
of the man you just spoke to.
when your eyelids forget how to blink properly.
when your Google search history
looks like early dementia.
drink the water—
when you’re sitting in the toilet
like it’s a courtroom
and nothing’s moving.
you blame the dosa.
you blame the rice.
you blame the world.
but it’s your fault.
you didn’t give the pipes
what they need.
water—
not from the fridge.
not from plastic.
not after RO has sucked out its soul.
from a clay pot.
from your steel tumbler.
from your grandmother’s old brass lota.
drink the water—
when your knees sound like
an old door hinge.
when your joints feel like
loose screws in a borrowed machine.
don’t reach for pills.
first, reach for the water.
when your skin looks like election-time promises—
dry, flaky, unreliable.
no cream can fix what dehydration broke.
you need hydration, not advertisement.
drink the water—
when your scalp turns into a dusty road
and flakes snow down like shame
on your black kurta.
drink it when—
your eyes burn under tube lights,
your hands tremble holding the mouse,
and your boss says you “don’t look well.”
he’s right.
you’re not well.
you’re just dry
from the inside out.
drink it when—
your blood pressure’s riding a bull.
when your sugar levels
jump rope on the lab report.
your liver, kidneys, pancreas—
all of them
floating in sludgy blood
because you thought water
was optional.
when your daughter’s white discharge won’t stop.
when your father’s uric acid mocks his toes.
when the doctor says "Try medicine."
tell him you’ll try
water first.
drink it—
when your heart skips
like an old transistor.
when you feel the weight of this world
in your lower back.
when you haven’t peed
since lunch
and it smells like fear.
drink it when—
your mood swings like a Delhi auto.
one minute god, next minute gunda.
you don’t need a mood stabilizer.
you need two steel glasses
of quiet, room-temperature water.
drink it when—
you think you’re dying.
sometimes
you’re just dehydrated.
especially when—
the day is dry,
the AC is on,
your mouth is shut,
but your body’s screaming
from every cell
for the thing
you keep forgetting
while posting
motivational reels.
drink it when—
your meditation sucks.
when your mind races.
when your spine itches from the inside.
even your soul needs water.
drink it
and sit still.
drink it—
before that evening argument.
before that tea-time gossip.
before you shout at your mother
for asking
if you’ve eaten.
drink it—
before life burns
you from within.
before the fire of modern speed
cooks your stomach lining.
water—
this ancient Indian thing.
older than your office.
older than your phone.
older than this bloody system
that sells you sickness
in shiny bottles.
remember to drink the water when—
your grandma says your face has dulled.
when your child wets the bed.
when your period cramps choke your belly.
when your groin itches with shame.
when your knees lock in prayer
but your mind won’t.
remember to drink it—
when you don't feel like yourself.
because that’s often
just a sign
that the real you
is thirsting
beneath layers of
caffeine, habit, noise,
and
neglect.
and if you still don’t believe me—
ask the old man at the temple
who carries his brass pot
like a shield
and never visits a hospital.
ask him why he looks so
damn
alive.
he’ll smile.
show his yellow teeth.
and say,
“banni, neeru kudiyiri…
aamele yochisi.”
(come, drink water…
then think.)
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