Signs you need to drink more water (2024)

FAQs

Signs you need to drink more water? ›

If you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. That's the easiest way to tell that you need more fluids. If you see your healthcare provider for possible dehydration, they may diagnose the condition based on your symptoms and a physical exam.

If you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. That's the easiest way to tell that you need more fluids. If you see your healthcare provider for possible dehydration, they may diagnose the condition based on your symptoms and a physical exam.

Severe dehydration can lead to dizziness and collapse. If you are showing any signs of dehydration, drink some water straight away. Seek medical advice if you still don't feel better. Older people are at greater risk of dehydration because they naturally feel less thirsty.

Water aids the digestive system, helps prevent constipation, flushes toxins from the body, promotes good kidney function, keeps your joints and muscles lubricated, supports healthier and younger-looking skin, and helps regulate body temperature.

According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an adequate daily water intake is about 3.7 liters for men (roughly a gallon) and about 2.7 liters for women (about seven-tenths of a gallon). Another general rule of thumb is to drink “half your body weight in ounces” for a regular day.

Skimping on water also leads to less blood in your body, which can lower your blood pressure and raise your heart rate. It takes just 15 to 20 minutes for enough water to even things out.

We grab a bottle of water and guzzle it down, often in one go, to satisfy that thirst. But that's not really the best way to hydrate, says Lindsay Baker, PhD, a senior principal scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. “In general, it's best to sip a little bit throughout the day,” Baker says.

Drinking water helps to flush bacteria from our bladders, thus preventing infection from setting in. Warning signs that our water intake is too low include dark colored urine or a decreased need to urinate at all. Moodiness may be caused by lack of fluids.

What are signs of too much water? ›

When you're overhydrated, you will notice some swelling or discoloration of your feet, hands, and lips. When the cells swell, the skin will also swell. Weak muscles that cramp easily. When the electrolyte levels drop because of drinking too much water, your body balance goes down.

Reduces Wrinkles. Water keeps your body hydrated and refreshed and helps maintain your skin's elasticity. People who drink large amounts of water are less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles, and soft lines and they won't show as many signs of aging as those who drink little amounts of water.

Many people wonder how long it takes to pee after drinking water, but it depends on a variety of factors. Generally, it takes your body 9 to 10 hours to produce 2 cups of urine. A properly hydrated person with an almost full bladder will need to urinate between five to fifteen minutes after drinking water.

In children, dehydration is based on how much body weight they've lost due to a lack of fluids. Mild dehydration: This causes symptoms such as thirst, less peeing and sweating, and dry mouth.

Performing a dehydration hand test is easy too. By pinching an area of skin, such as the back the hand, lift up the skin and then release. If the skin doesn't return to normal, and instead remains lifted, and appears loose, it is a sign that you may be dehydrated. This is particularly common among the elderly.

Lemonade-Yellow Urine: When you're in that sweet spot of optimal hydration the color of your urine should be lemonade yellow. Paler than that and you're really saturated on hydration and darker urine means you need to increase your fluid intake.

When you're overhydrated, you will notice some swelling or discoloration of your feet, hands, and lips. When the cells swell, the skin will also swell. Weak muscles that cramp easily. When the electrolyte levels drop because of drinking too much water, your body balance goes down.