Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water. (Picture credit: Freepik) From brain fog to headaches: Learn from an expert on how dehydration can cost your health and productivity at work. 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 berriesWhile 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."Since water plays such an integral role in brain function, inadequate hydration may affect both your cognitive performance and overall brain health.How does dehydration affect the brain?“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.What are the common signs you are dehydrated?Headache is a common sign of dehydration. (Picture credit: Freepik)How do you know you are dehydrated? Your body will send some signals. Here are some signs:Frequent headachesHaving trouble concentratingFeeling really tiredFeeling dizzy or light-headedBeing irritable and having mood changesReacting slowlyForgetting thingsYou 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.Why do office workers get dehydrated?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.When can symptoms become serious?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:Confusion or disorientationExtreme fatigue or weaknessDifficulty speakingFaintingReducing alertness or responsivenessPersistent headachesFrequent dizzinessNoticeable changes in cognitive functionWhat are the steps for prevention?Next, the expert recommended the following measures to prevent dehydration and protect brain function:Drink water regularly throughout the day instead of waiting until you feel extremely thirsty.Keep a water bottle at your desk for a visual reminder.Avoid replacing plain water entirely with coffee or tea.Drink fluids containing electrolytes if dehydration is more pronounced.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. About the expert 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.Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read MoreHealthCatch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. 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