The popular slogan “water is life” is quite true because the importance of water in the human body cannot be over-emphasized. The human body is composed of 60% water while the blood component is about 90% of water (Kubala 2020).Which means that an average human cannot do without water. No living thing can survive on earth without water. Man can survive days without food but there is no survival without water. Beyond the fundamental role of water for sustaining existence, water has a benefit of healing and vitality.
Water therapy is the use of water to treat various symptoms. It is an alternative method of treatment different from the use of drugs. It is a practice that has been in existence since the olden days. But as the world kept evolving, different methods of utilizing water therapy was created. In Japan, they make use of water therapy in medicine. These involve drinking water at room temperature after waking up in the morning. According to them, ths therapy helps to detoxify the digestive system and regulate gut health. The Japanese water therapy involve some steps that are repeated daily which include; Drinking four-five cups of water after waking up in the morning, before brushing and eating food. It also involves eating for 15 minutes and waiting for about two hours before eating or drinking any other thing. This therapy is also used to aid the treatment of various conditions such as constipation, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and even cancer.
Water therapy is used for a variety of purposes. It helps in the formation of saliva which helps in food digestion in the mouth. It helps the digestive system to function properly. It aids easy digestion of food and prevents problems such as constipation. It also helps in elimination of waste products such as sweats and feces from the body. Have you ever wondered why sometimes you visit the toilet and you stay for hours before you are able to pass excreta? This is partly because the water content of the body is low. Lack of adequate water in the body leads to drier stools because the colon absorbs water from waste as it passes through it. This leads to less water content in the stool, making it harder and more difficult to pass it out.
Water therapy is used in maintaining blood pressure. A lack of water in the body leads to reduction in the blood volume, causing blood to become thicker. When the blood volume is low or there is a high concentration of solutes such as sodium in the body due to low water content, a hormone called vasopressin is released, which act on the kidney causing it to reabsorb water instead of passing the water in urine content. High levels of vasopressin hormone causes the blood vessels to constrict thereby increasing the pressure needed for the blood to be pumped across the body. These in turn lead to a high blood pressure.
Water therapy is used for burn injuries where the injury is placed under running water for some minutes. This procedure helps to relieve and reduce pain, redness and scarring to the skin tissues. It also prevents a condition called “dehydration” which occurs when loss of water from the body through sweating, urine etc is greater than the amount of water taken into the body.Water helps to deliver essential nutrients and oxygen to body cells for adequate functioning and facilitation of energy production through cellular respiration. The energy produced helps to increase body performance during activities and reduce fatigue. Dehydration i.e low water content in the body affects the functioning of the different cells in the body causing it to malfunction. Dehydration also affects the skin causing discoloration and wrinkling of the skin. Taking adequate water helps to promote skin health.
Amongst other benefits of water therapy, it is very essential in sport. It is one of the effective therapies used in treating injured athletes. It is useful in treating sprain, shoulder and knee injuries. Water therapy utilizes the physical properties of water such as buoyancy, viscosity and hydrostatic pressure to maintain health and fitness. Buoyancy bears the body weight as the athlete is being immersed in water. This creates a feeling of weightlessness which helps to reduce joint stress and pressure. Water based exercises such as aqua-jogging or resistance in water helps to improve cardiovascular fitness, strength of the athlete. Water therapy also helps to regulate body temperature of the athlete, prevent overheating and enhance performance of the athlete. It aids in muscle relaxation, reducing stress levels and aids mental recovery of the athletes. It also helps in reducing pain, improving joint motion and muscle coordination and balance.
As beneficial as water is to the human body, it also has a side effect which is called overhydration. Taking a large quantity of water within a short period of time causes electrolytes imbalance in the body. These can lower the concentration of electrolytes such as sodium in the body and cause a condition known as hyponatremia i.e low sodium content in the body. These conditions can lead to several symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness, coma and can even result in death if not properly treated.
The water content in the body is not only increased by taking enough water only. It can also be increased by taking food with a high water content such as fruits, vegetables, juices and beverages. Water is an effective therapy which should be properly utilized because it promotes wellness, rejuvenates and revitalizes the human body thereby improving overall health and vitality.
