Work can be all-consuming. You may find yourself hopping from one meeting to another, cooped up in a conference room or spending hours at your desk chasing deadlines. Amid this chaos, drinking water can easily slip from your mind. With work pressure being so intense, you may not even notice when thirst turns into dehydration.ALSO READ: World Brain Day 2026: Neurosurgeon recommends brain-friendly foods to improve cognitive functions, from curd to berries
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While occasionally forgetting to drink water may seem tolerable, the problem arises when you let it become a habit and remain dehydrated regularly. The effect of dehydration extends to your internal organs too, including one of the most vital ones: the brain.
Dr Chinmay Kumbhar, consultant neurologist, at Manipal Hospitals, Baner, Pune, helped decode why you need to avoid the habit of drinking less water at work.
To get a complete picture, the connection between the brain and water warrants a closer look. Emphasising this relationship, the neurologist said in an interview to HT Lifestyle, “Our brain is made up of a lot of water, 75 per cent. This water helps our brain work normally and helps our blood move around, helps our nerve cells talk to each other.”
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Since water plays such an integral role in brain function, inadequate hydration may affect both your cognitive performance and overall brain health.
“When our body loses more water than it gets, we get dehydrated. This means our blood, so our brain gets less oxygen and nutrients. Because of this, people start to notice some symptoms that can make it hard to get work done and focus,” Dr Kumbhar shared.
From this, we can understand that inadequate hydration may prevent your brain from functioning well. And at work, you need to concentrate, think clearly and make decisions efficiently. So when these cognitive abilities are disrupted because of dehydration, your overall productivity may also take a hit.
How do you know you are dehydrated? Your body will send some signals. Here are some signs:
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Next, the expert recommended the following measures to prevent dehydration and protect brain function:
What happens in severe cases? The expert answered, “In bad cases, people might need to go to the hospital and get fluids through a vein. Surgery is not usually needed because dehydration is not something that needs to be fixed with surgery. If the doctors find out that there is a bigger brain problem that needs surgery, they will plan the treatment accordingly.”
When our brain has water, it works better, and we can focus, remember things and think more clearly throughout the day. Sometimes the answer to a headache or feeling tired might be as simple as drinking a glass of water. On World Brain Day, let this be a reminder to focus on hydration, even on the busiest workdays.
Dr Chinmay Kumbhar has over 11 years of experience in the medical field and more than 7 years of dedicated neurology practice. His areas of expertise include the management of headaches, migraines, epilepsy, vertigo, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune neurological conditions, neuroinfectious conditions, and movement disorders. He also treats complex cases involving peripheral neuropathies and myasthenia gravis.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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You may mistake these symptoms for being because of stress or lack of sleep the night before, but the neurologist insisted inadequate hydration is one of the major source problems.
Dr Kumbhar mentioned several workplace habits that may increase the risk of dehydration, such as drinking coffee or tea instead of plain water, sitting in an air-conditioned room for long hours and ignoring the urge to drink when you feel thirsty. Some people also deliberately avoid drinking water to reduce the number of washroom breaks they need to take.
While severe dehydration is uncommon in an office setting, Dr Kumbhar still warned that dehydration can quickly turn into a medical emergency. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice:
