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Potential challenges in maintaining adequate Hydration


In the previous article, I told you the story of a young man suffering for ten hours from a stomach ulcer, having taken numerous medications with no effect. Yet, after just three glasses of water, the pain disappeared as if it had never existed.


Did you react the same way I did when reading this story, thinking: "How is it possible that water alone can soothe such intense pain?" It seems magical, but there is a scientific explanation behind it, though this aspect is rarely emphasized. When I was a pharmacy student, no professor ever explained these facts to me, and my doctors even less so.


Today, I will share with you what I have discovered and analyzed.


A few words for you before diving into the topic (in case you haven’t read my other articles).

In this series of articles on wellness, in order to avoid purely theoretical discussions, I will try to share personal experiences or those of people around me, while incorporating scientific information on health.


The sections that start with a ">" contain additional information that may enrich the article; you are free to read them or not. Once read, you can collapse them to better view the overall structure.


Each article will include a section titled "The Pharmacist’s Perspective " where I share knowledge that I have compiled myself. This part may sometimes be a bit long, dry, or difficult to understand, but these are generally things your doctor won’t have time to explain to you.



Pharmacist’s perspective: Water and its irreplaceable role


Our body needs water to perform all its functions, and the stomach is no exception. When your body is dehydrated, especially during times of stress or in the case of a stomach ulcer, the cells of the gastric mucosa start to "call for help" because they need water to protect themselves and maintain their function. At that moment, only water can respond to this call.


The stomach is not just a "machine" for digesting food; it is also a sophisticated structure protected by a layer of mucus. This mucus is produced to prevent acid and digestive enzymes from destroying the gastric lining. And do you know what? This mucus is made up of 98% water!

The stomach is covered by a mucus layer (mucosa) that contains 98% water.

When we are dehydrated, the mucus becomes dry, fragile, and easily breakable, allowing acid to “penetrate” and erode the stomach lining. The result? Well, you guessed it, it’s stomach pain or even an ulcer!

At that moment, water becomes the “savior” solution. When you drink enough water, it returns to the mucus layer, making it thicker, more flexible, and ready to protect the stomach lining from the acid. That’s precisely why, with just three glasses of water, the young man in the story experienced a significant reduction in his gastric pain.


Simple but effective, right? Yet, have you ever met a doctor or a pharmacist who recommended this to you? In my opinion, it’s not that they intentionally keep this information secret to sell you medications. Perhaps there are a few exceptions, but not all healthcare professionals are profit-driven. In truth, in the countless courses on the digestive system that I studied during my pharmacy training (official program in France), there wasn’t a single line that mentioned the pain-relieving effect of water.


Simple but effective, right? Yet, have you ever met a doctor or a pharmacist who recommended this to you?

Water and the "Reverse Rinsing" process that protects the stomach

When you drink water, it doesn't just disappear into your body.

After drinking a glass of water, it is quickly absorbed by the small intestine and passes into the bloodstream. However, some of the water "returns" to the stomach through the mucous membrane.

  • Water helps regenerate a new layer of mucus, thicker and more flexible, to protect the stomach lining from acid attacks.


  • This mucus, in addition to containing water, also holds substances like sodium bicarbonate, which helps neutralize some of the excess acid.


  • Moreover, water helps wash away the layer of mucus that has built up due to the salts produced during acid neutralization (NaHCO3 + HCl -> NaCl + H2O + CO2).


Drinking enough water: A task that requires attention


I bet most of you are like me: you wait until you're thirsty to remember to drink, right? In fact, many of us have this habit. But waiting until you're thirsty to drink means that your body has already started to dehydrate.


This may seem insignificant, but in reality, prolonged dehydration can cause many health problems you wouldn't expect! The stomach pain I’m sharing in this article is just one of the desperate signals your body sends when it’s dealing with "chronic dehydration" (I’m using this term in compare with chronic illnesses, the ones that require lifelong treatment, with medications that alleviate symptoms but not cured).


Did you know that a dry mouth is the FINAL SIGNAL your body uses to warn you of dehydration? The mouth is not the first organ to suffer from a lack of water, because even when you’re very thirsty, you still have saliva, don’t you?

Did you know that a dry mouth is the FINAL SIGNAL your body uses to warn you of dehydration? The mouth is not the first organ to suffer from a lack of water, because even when you're very thirsty, you still have saliva, don’t you?

Most of us live fast-paced lives, juggling work, studies, and many other responsibilities, which makes drinking water the last thing on our minds. Not to mention, drinking a lot of water means going to the bathroom more often, and that can sometimes be a hassle. For example, whenever I travel, even though I try to drink plenty of water, I also have to plan for when I’ll be able to go to the restroom, which means I struggle to maintain an optimal water intake. Or for example, children at school, where the restrooms aren’t always clean. That's how we develop bad habits from childhood: instead of building the habit of drinking water regularly, we learn to “deprive ourselves of water.”


How much water is optimal? How do you know if the amount of water you drink is really enough, or if your belief is based on false information? This is a long discussion I will share another time, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised. In this article, I just want to help you understand that drinking water is a simple act with many health benefits, but building and maintaining the habit of drinking enough water requires a lot of focus and awareness—it’s a task that demands attention. This is partly the reason for this series of articles.


If we fully understand it, it leads to great results; if we only understand a little, it leads to minimal results. If you try to change anything without fully understanding the causes and consequences, you’ll likely revert to your old habits after just a few days or weeks.

Most of us live at a frantic pace, juggling work, studies, and many other responsibilities, which makes drinking water the last thing on our minds.

So, simply start by drinking more water and track how much you consume each day. Try to see for yourself if I’m not telling lies : the more water you drink, the more frequently you’ll feel thirsty!!! (If you have any questions, you can write to me directly via the All Happiness page).


If we fully understand it, it leads to great results; if we only understand a little, it leads to minimal results. If you want to change anything without understanding the causes and consequences, it’s certain that within a few days or weeks, you’ll return to your old habits.

Next time, I will analyze in more detail the alarm signals from other organs of your body when it’s dehydrated. Once you understand this well, I’m sure you won’t be able to neglect your water bottle, even on the busiest days.


Water is the fundamental element of physical well-being, just remember that!


REFERENCES

 

Do you think you will start changing your water-drinking habits or recommend my article to those who have stomach issues? I would be very grateful if you left a comment to share your thoughts and if you shared this article so that the information can reach more people!

If there’s a topic you’d like me to cover, you can also contact me directly via the All Happiness page!


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