Dehydration can cause various symptoms beyond feeling thirsty and having a dry mouth
As temperatures start to rise, staying properly hydrated becomes increasingly crucial. Feeling thirsty is one of the most obvious warning signs of dehydration, alongside a dry mouth and lips, darker urine, and needing the toilet less frequently.
In serious cases, you might begin to feel lethargic, dizzy or even confused. However, there are additional symptoms you may not have thought about.
Dr Barbara Kubicka, founder, director and doctor of Clinicbe clinic in London, told Surrey Live this time last year: “Sometimes, feeling sluggish and tired can be a sign of dehydration, which people sometimes put down to other things. This is particularly true when the weather is hot. During warm and hot spells, we sweat a lot more, and therefore need to drink more than usual to compensate for the extra water loss.
“In addition to this, when it’s warm/hot, our blood vessels tend to dilate to try to radiate extra heat from the body. The vasodilation can lower the blood pressure slightly and when you don’t drink enough to make up for this drop in blood pressure, it can make you feel faint and sluggish.”
The recommended daily water intake guideline is two litres per day, although this varies depending on a person’s individual needs, such as their weight, how often they exercise, and their caffeine consumption, amongst other factors.
Describing how body weight influences water consumption, Dr Kubicka explained: “Adults need roughly 30ml/kg/day. So a 50kg person would need to drink 1.5L of water per day, and an 80kg person would need 2.4L of water per day.”
The most effective way to remain properly hydrated is to keep a bottle of water close to hand and take regular sips throughout the day.
However, drinks aren’t your only source of hydration – water can also be found in fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, celery, courgette, cucumber, cabbage and watermelon.
Dr Kubicka went on to say: “Any drink which is not caffeinated and not alcoholic counts towards your fluid intake. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol don’t count because they make your body lose more water.
“So if you do drink alcohol and caffeinated drinks then you need to balance this with extra water to compensate.”
