Dark yellow urine

You should almost have clear urine when you go to the bathroom.  The more yellow or even amber colored the urine is, the more dehydrated you are. Remember that the toilet is filled with water before you add urine to it.  It should show up as almost clear if you are drinking the correct amount.

Dry skin

If your skin is dry and flaky, one of the first things you should do before piling on the lotion is try to heal it from the inside out.  Ask yourself, “How much have I had to drink today?”. Also, a pinch of the skin should bounce right back to where it was before you pinched it.  If it stays wrinkled, it is also a sign of dehydration.

Dry or sticky mouth

If you have dry mouth, regardless if it is caused by medication or not, your body is telling you that you need more water.

Muscle cramps

Ever wake up at night with a “charley horse”?  You may have been short some ounces that day with your water intake especially if there was exercise involved that day.  There are other causes of muscle cramping or “charley horses” of course, but upping the water intake is one thing that you can do to prevent the next one.

Dizziness

Dizzy spells can be caused by dehydration.  Again, it is possible to have other things cause the dizziness, but a quick way to try to get it to go away is to drink a glass of water and see if the dizziness subsides.

Headache

Headaches can be caused by dehydration. This is because the brain actually shrinks in size like a dry sponge.  Drink up if you are noticing a headache coming on.

Fatigue

Lack of energy is a definite sign of dehydration.  In the morning when you wake up, instead of reaching for the coffee cup, drink some water with lemon in it.  You will be surprised how much energy you get from just a bit of water after going all night without anything to drink!

Rapid heartbeat

Your heart will beat faster when there is less blood volume as the body struggles to get all the nutrients delivered to where they are needed.  You may at this time notice a higher breathing rate as well.

Constipation

The intestines require sufficient water to keep the stool moving through the colon.  If not, motility of the stool will be much slower and it can even become stuck or impacted.

Thirst

Sometimes this is the last thing that a person feels when they are dehydrated.  Try to stay ahead of thirst if you can.  And drink if you are thirsty, even if you don’t feel that you are dehydrated!  Your body knows what it is talking about!

What about coffee?

Coffee, tea, and every other drink that contains caffeine (such as sodas) have a diuretic effect which means that it stimulates you to urinate and actually contributes to dehydration.  Be sure to drink them sparingly as they can actually cause the opposite effect when you are drinking them.

What else causes dehydration?

Sweat You sweat when you sleep, exercise, and are exposed to hot temperatures and dry or windy environments. You even sweat when you swim even though you can’t feel it because you are in the water.

Diarrhea Diarrhea causes you to lose liquid very quickly.  Be sure to drink up when you are sick!!

Vomiting Just as diarrhea can cause you to lose fluids as quickly as diarrhea.

As mentioned in the post 10 benefits to drinking water, starting to drink water regularly is such an easy, low cost, and beneficial thing to do to start getting healthy.  It will help to make you feel like you are full and even helps with weight loss. If you are visiting this site to start your journey toward a healthy life, start today with the habit of drinking water.  It will be a change that you won’t regret!!!