If you lose at least _____ of your body water, it is fatal

• A. 5%
• B. 12%
• C. 20%
• D. 30%

Answer: (B)

Losing a significant portion of body water disrupts circulating blood volume and the body’s ability to regulate temperature and electrolytes. When about twelve percent of total body water is lost, the remaining fluid is often insufficient to maintain adequate blood flow to vital organs, so blood pressure drops and organs begin to fail. This level of dehydration can lead to shock and, without rapid medical treatment, can be fatal. Mild dehydration around five percent mainly causes thirst and dry mouth but is not typically deadly, while severe dehydration around twenty percent or more is extremely dangerous and life-threatening, but the commonly cited fatal threshold used in medical guidance is roughly twelve percent.