The Power of Water

Water is something that we often take for granted, yet it’s the most essential element. When the thought of writing about water and how it relates to our lives with COPD came to me, I couldn’t fathom a whole article about it. Now though, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can… Just like the little train that could.

Water is not to be taken for granted

• Hydration: Dehydration can be caused by vomiting or diarrhea, sweating or even by medication that can cause a person to become dry. It’s important to drink water to rehydrate, as it can affect your overall health. Water helps to regulate body temperature and to keep the organs functioning. It helps with blood circulation, digestion, it helps food travel through the intestines, it helps lubricate joints and muscles, and it even helps to protect the spinal cord. Water takes up 50 – 65% of the adult body.
• Kidneys: Water is a must for the kidneys, to prevent kidney stones and bladder infection. It also causes fluid buildup in the body.
• Colon: Water is essential for colon function to move the digested food through the intestines and colon. It helps to remove the waste.
• Drinking Water: Vital for human, but also for pets, wildlife and livestock. For aquariums as well.
• Exercise: For many, it’s healthier to do aquatics exercise as it makes it easier to move the legs, etc. This is also proven to be an asset when doing physical therapy. It helps to reduce strain on the body and to alleviate pain.
• Bathe/Shower: Water can feel so good and help to bring relief to your joints and muscles, back spasms too. The main thing that baths and showers are good for is to wash your body and hair. This helps to cleanse you of dirt, sweat, flaky skin and more. It helps a person smell better as well. For some though, it’s difficult to shower or bathe and they get sponge baths.
• Saline Rinse: Use distilled water to clean your sinuses with a Neti Pot or other.
• Medication: Take your medication and pills with water.
• Wash food: When food is purchased at the store, or grown in the garden, it’s best to wash it to remove any chemicals that might be on the fruit, vegetable or other. It even removes the garden dirt.
• Cooking: When we cook something on the burner of the stove that is to be boiled, such as pasta, we use water. Soup requires water too. Frequently items cooked in the stove or in the microwave might have a dash or so of water added to keep moisture in.
• Cleaning: House cleaning always requires water, whether dishes are hand washed or in a dishwasher, water is used. Water is used in the washing machine too. When dusting, we use a damp rag, with water. When scrubbing or mopping floors, water is used.
• Garden and Lawn: In the warmer months, we maintain our yards. It’s so important to keep a garden watered as well.
• Cars: Water is sometimes used in a water/antifreeze mixture, and to wash your car.

This started out as a short article on the necessity of water to our body. Yet, as I got to thinking, our household uses water for so many things, as it does for our families and friends. I have thought about water use before, but have never put it on paper. Water is vital for so many things.

Can you think of other vital needs for water?