That old recommendation of drinking eight glasses of water a day is often seen as a suggestion rather than a “must,” and many people take it too lightly. One of water’s main benefits is to keep the body hydrated, and serious dehydration can become an issue over time. It seems simple to keep your body hydrated, but many people don’t drink enough water, which can lead to chronic illnesses and other complications.

These five signs below could mean that you dehydrated, and may need to up your daily water intake:

Muscle Cramps

This can be a big problem, especially for athletes. Even though the lack of stretching often causes muscle cramps, so does dehydration and the lack of proper fluids. Michael Bergeron, executive director of the National Institute for Athletic Health & Performance at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. stated, “When the nerves that connect to the muscles aren’t surrounded by as much water and sodium as they need, they become hypersensitive, causing the muscles to involuntarily contract or spasm.”

Dry Skin

Those who don’t get sufficient fluids in their bodies on a daily basis can suffer from severe dry skin. In order to stay moisturized, there are oils that need to function properly in your skin. When dehydrated, your skin lacks moisture, which in return provides dry, rough and irritable skin.

Bad Breath

This is an obvious indicator. If you have frequent bad breath, it might be due to dehydration in the body. According to a Toronto dentist , when your mouth is dehydrated, saliva isn’t able to function properly in the mouth—often resulting in bad breath. When dehydrated, the reduced cleaning action of the saliva allows bacteria to grow, which is where the bad smell comes from.

Headaches

Headaches from dehydration can be difficult to detect but chances are if you feel thirsty and are suffering from a headache then its’ from dehydration. According to Thortz.com, if there are coinciding dehydration symptoms such as dry mouth, fatigue, increased blood pressure, and nausea then it could mean dehydration is the problem and you need to increase your fluid intake.

Food Cravings

One may think, what does food have to do with being dehydrated? The body often mistakes dehydration for food cravings and when you are hungry, your organs will send signals in the form of sugar and food cravings. RealFoodCo says, “The next time you find yourself craving sweets, start with a big glass of water and see if that doesn’t help curb that craving completely.” So, when you perform activity that uses up your nutrients, try a glass of water instead of snacks or sweets. It’s more likely that dehydration has taken place instead of true hunger.

Dehydration should be taken seriously. If one of these indicators are experienced, seek attention as soon as possible, especially if the symptoms are severe. If the side effects are still in the early stages, simply indulge in more fluids than normal. As you can see, your body has a lot to lose by being dehydrated, and a lot to gain from drinking more water.