How long can humans live without water? This might seem like a very simple question to answer, but the answer is not that easy. Water is a basic human necessity and to deprive the body of this requirement has ensuing results that can range from dehydration to death.
Many factors come into play when we talk of how long can a person stay without water. If the conditions are extreme, then death can come a lot sooner whereas if the surroundings are not averse and are actually comfortable, then a person can live for a longer duration with no or limited water intake.
Chances Of Survival Without Water
A human being can’t live by just inhaling the air around them or absorbing the sunshine that the Sun gives. It needs adequate nourishment in the form of food and regular intake of water. In the absence of the two, the body will eventually succumb to a certain death.
The human body can still manage a few days without food, and there have been many instances of revolutionaries going on a hunger strike. The body will definitely weaken, but it will manage. Though if a person tries the same stunt with water then story would have a different outcome. The body in itself is made up of 60% water and water is required by every living cell in our body to survive. The water that we drink performs major functions in the body such as acting as a lubricant for our joints, flushing out all the toxic waste in our body and regulating the body temperature through sweating and respiration.
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How Long Can A Person Live Without Water?
To be healthy, it is important that a human being maintains a balance between water loss and water intake. Water is lost through sweating, urinating and also when defecating and to make up for that loss our body obtains water from fruits, vegetables and the drinks we consume. Another way in which a human losses water without realizing it is by exhaling air that is water saturated. Every time we breathe out we lose some water content which is more evident on cold days as the condensed water is visible.
In all likely cases, a person can grow weak without water that too if the conditions are comfortable. In places that are sweltering hot, the survival will be for a lesser time.
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Based on the study conducted by Randall K. Packer, a professor of biology at George Washington University, a week is a maximum a person can survive without water. The time of a week according to him is again a very generous figure as the person is most likely to die within 4 days of stopping his intake of water. According to Claude Piantadosi of Duke University, a person can go on for 100 hours without drinking water at an average room temperature and perhaps a little longer in a cooler climate.
To stay healthy, it is important to drink adequate amounts of water. How did you find this article? Share your opinions using the comment box below.
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