7 Signs of Winter Dehydration

People worry about getting dehydrated after exercise. They also take precautions to avoid dehydration in the summer season when the days get hotter.

But they often forget about winter dehydration. Let us first understand what winter dehydration is.

Much like dehydration, winter dehydration is the lack of fluids in the body.

The human body needs about three litres of water on a daily basis for it to function properly.

When this fluid-requirement is not met, a person ends up suffering from winter dehydration.

But unlike the dehydration that occurs in the summer season, winter dehydration happens due to winter-related causes.

Also, winter dehydration sneaks up on you and is harder to detect.

Given below are 7 signs of winter dehydration.

1. Headaches

When you don’t drink enough water, there is a lack of fluids and electrolytes in your body. Loss of fluids causes your brain to contract temporarily.

When your brain contracts, it gets pulled away from the skull a bit. And it causes the headaches you get when you’re dehydrated.

Headaches are one of the most common warning signs of winter dehydration. Yet, it is also a lesser known sign of winter dehydration.

2. Dry Mouth

Your body needs a specific amount of fluids for it to produce saliva. When your body is dehydrated, the salivary glands in your mouth don’t work efficiently.

And hence, your mouth gets dry. If you have a dry mouth constantly, then you need to increase your daily water intake.

If you continue having a dry mouth, you might have an underlying medical condition. In which case, it is best to consult a doctor and make sure that you don't have any illness.

3. Dry Skin

Having dry skin is often a sign of winter dehydration. When there’s a lack of water in your body, it gets reflected in your skin as well.

When you get dry skin because of dehydration, you’ll experience other signs such as itchiness, dullness and wrinkles on your skin. You’ll also get dark circles under your eyes.

Dry skin caused by winter dehydration is not the same as having dry skin type. Winter dehydration can cause dry skin to people with any skin type.

4. Fatigue

When your body is suffering from dehydration, the blood in your body is redirected to the working muscles.

The blood moves away from the skin reducing your body's ability to diffuse heat. As a result, the internal temperature of your body rises.

This increase in your body’s internal heat causes fatigue. It also leads to those terrible muscle cramps and light-headedness.

5. Thrist

Thirst is an early sign of winter dehydration. When your body runs low on fluids, the first thing it does is stimulate the thirst centre of the brain.

You would think that thirst should be an easy-to-detect indicator. But the truth is, many people don’t feel thirsty until they are actually dehydrated. Especially during winters.

So, even if you don’t feel thirty, drink plenty of liquids to protect yourself from winter dehydration.

6. Dark- coloured Urine

Dark- coloured urine is one of the major signs of dehydration in winter. Fluids in your body dilute the yellow pigment in your urine.

When there’s a lack of water in your body, the yellow pigment becomes more concentrated. It turns your urine dark-yellow and even amber-coloured.

A person’s urine should be light yellow-coloured. The more water you drink, the clearer your urine will become.

7. Sugar Cravings

Craving for sugar is a lesser known symptom of dehydration. Not having enough fluids in your body affects its ability to metabolize glycogen efficiently.

Hence, you get cravings for cookies, candy bars, lattes, cakes etc. When in reality, all you need to do is drink more water.

Glycogen is important for your body to have energy. Glycogen is the converted form of glucose that is stored in your body’s muscles and liver.    

Many people around the world suffer from mild winter dehydration. After all, the subtle warning signs of dehydration during winter months are hard to notice.

But once it’s detected, they wonder, “How can I hydrate my body in winter”?  

If you’ve been asking yourself the same question, then you can follow these 7 tips to keep yourself hydrated in the winter.