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HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury

How to get enough to drink

Me pēhea e mākona ai

A woman drinks plain water from a glass.You need about eight to 10 cups of fluid each day to keep your body working properly. If you do not drink enough, you can get dehydrated. This can cause headaches, tiredness and poor concentration. It also increases your chances of having constipation or kidney stones.

Types of fluid

Limit drinks that are high in calories and low in nutrition. For example:

Making sure you're getting enough fluid

The easiest way is to check the colour and amount of your urine. Except for first thing in the morning, your urine should be almost clear and there should be plenty of it. If you have dark yellow urine, you aren't drinking enough.

You may need extra fluid if:

Tips for a good fluid intake

Tips if you need to pass urine often or if you have incontinence (loss of bladder control)

Talk to your general practice team for more advice.

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Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed March 2022.

Sources

Page reference: 33623

Review key: HIHEI-34305