I drank a lot of water but still have dry mouth

Some people have found that the amount of water people around them drink is polarized. Some people can drink a glass of water all day long. They don’t have a strong desire to drink water and their excretion frequency is also seldom. There are also other people who, almost every time you see them, they are holding a glass of water with no interruption in the water in the glass. Of course, they also excrete a lot. But if you ask them, you will find that they will say that even if they drink a lot of water, they still have a dry mouth. Why is that?

Many people believe that thirst means that the body is extremely dehydrated, but sometimes they still feel thirsty even after drinking a lot of water. Why is this? How to determine if your body is dehydrated? How to quench thirst?

Normally, thirst is our brain's way of warning us when we haven't drunk enough water and are becoming dehydrated.

For example, we feel thirsty when we lose body fluids due to excessive sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting. Likewise, certain foods we eat (such as those that are salty or spicy) may also cause thirst. At this time, as long as you drink enough water, you can usually relieve thirst and restore body fluid balance quickly.

However, if thirst is persistent and excessive (called polydipsia), there may be an underlying problem in your body. When you feel thirsty in the following situations, it is not because your body is extremely dehydrated.

diabetes

If we always feel thirsty and have other symptoms such as frequent urination, fatigue, and weight loss, we may have diabetes.

Diabetes is caused by defects in the secretion and/or action of insulin, which leads to the accumulation of too much glucose in the blood. High levels of glucose in the blood mean that the kidneys need to produce more urine to excrete the glucose. At this time, the brain will tell us to drink more water to make up for the lost water, and we will feel thirsty.

Diabetes insipidus

Diabetes insipidus is caused by a deficiency of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or the insensitivity of the kidneys to ADH, which leads to dysfunction of the renal tubular reabsorption of water, causing symptoms such as polyuria, thirst and polydipsia.

Dry mouth

Some people think they are thirsty when they actually have a dry mouth. Dry mouth is not the same as thirst. It may be caused by anxiety, certain medications, certain diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome, nerve damage in the head and neck, and smoking.

In addition, other causes such as sickle cell anemia, psychogenic polydipsia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and drug treatments (such as certain antipsychotics and diuretics) may also lead to more severe thirst.

How to determine if your body is dehydrated?

To determine whether our body is dehydrated, we can refer to these 10 signals sent by the body:

1. Dry mouth and swollen tongue;

2. Dark yellow urine;

3. Constipation;

4. Lack of skin elasticity;

5. Palpitations;

6. Muscle spasms;

7. Dizziness;

8. Fatigue;

9. No tears;

10. Feeling overheated.

When you drink enough water, you will not feel thirsty, your eyelids will be plump and shiny, and your urine will become clear.

How to quench thirst?

Under normal circumstances, if you feel thirsty due to hot weather, heavy physical labor or heavy exercise, high fever causing excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, burns, blood loss, or eating too salty or spicy food, which leads to severe dehydration, you should increase the amount of water you drink appropriately.

If thirst is persistent and excessive, you should consider whether it is caused by certain diseases. When drinking plenty of water does not relieve your thirst, it is recommended to seek medical advice.

Some tips for drinking water properly:

1. Drink water proactively

Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink water. This is because when you feel thirsty, your body has lost at least 1% of water, and the thirst center has already sent out a distress signal.

If you are afraid that you will be too busy and forget to drink water, you can bring a cup with you when you go out for easy drinking. Prepare a few more cups at home or in the office so that you can drink some water when you see them.

2. Drink water in small amounts and frequently

You should drink water in small amounts and multiple times, about 200 ml (1 cup) each time, to avoid affecting digestion or increasing the burden on the heart and kidneys due to drinking too much water at one time.

3. Drinking water at a particular time

Drinking water should be distributed at any time of the day, and it is better to drink water at regular times.

You can drink a glass of water on an empty stomach after getting up in the morning. Although you may not feel thirsty, you will lose a lot of water due to invisible sweating and urine secretion while sleeping. Drinking water after getting up can reduce blood viscosity and increase circulating blood volume.

Similarly, drinking a glass of water before going to bed can also help prevent an increase in blood viscosity during the night.

4. It is best to choose boiled water

It is best to choose boiled water when drinking, and try not to choose alcoholic and high-sugar beverages, because they will cause the body to lose more water. Also, don't be superstitious about various "concept waters".

Of course, after strenuous exercise or sweating a lot, you can choose some sports drinks containing electrolytes to replenish the lost sodium, potassium and other minerals at the same time.

5. Drink plenty of water every day

For adults living in mild climates and with light physical activity levels, in addition to normal dietary water intake, the average adult woman should drink at least 1500 ml (about 7 to 8 cups) of water alone every day, and the average adult man should drink at least 1700 ml (about 8 to 9 cups) of water alone every day. If you are working under high temperature or strenuous physical labor conditions, you should increase the amount of water you drink appropriately.