{"id":539,"date":"2021-12-23T09:13:09","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T09:13:09","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-12-23T09:26:05","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T09:26:05","slug":"winter-dehydration-symtoms-and-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/winter-dehydration-symtoms-and-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Dehydration: Symptoms and Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter dehydration is a common problem because many people crave less water in the colder months, and therefore drink less water in the winter. While it\u2019s common to crave water in the sweltering summer months, many people are less thirsty in the winter and forget to drink water for this reason.<\/p>\n

Because we sweat less in colder weather, we don\u2019t get the same cues to replenish our fluids. With or without sweat, however, your body still loses moisture in the winter, and your body still needs plenty of hydration in winter.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to remind yourself to drink plenty of water in the winter to avoid winter dehydration. Drink water even if you\u2019re not thirsty. Grab a glass of water even if you\u2019re chilly and you don\u2019t really want to drink it.<\/p>\n

During the summer, you likely don\u2019t have to remind yourself to drink water (because you crave it more in the summer.). In the winter it\u2019s a different story, as you\u2019ll have to be cognizant of how much water you\u2019re drinking.<\/p>\n

No matter what season it is, you should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day, and more if you can. 8 glasses of water is about 64 ounces of water, but try to drink 100 ounces of water per day if you can.<\/p>\n

\"circlemagazine-circledna-winter-dehydration\"<\/figure>\n

What Exactly is Winter Dehydration?<\/h2>\n

Winter dehydration occurs when your body isn\u2019t hydrated enough to function properly because you\u2019re forgetting to refill your water glass due to craving less water. Winter dehydration can cause brain fog<\/a>, fatigue, dry skin, dry eyes, sugar cravings, headaches and more.<\/p>\n

The treatment for winter dehydration is simple: Drink more water (and aim to drink 64 \u2013 100 ounces of water per day). Below, we\u2019ll review some of the symptoms of winter dehydration in more detail, so that you understand how important it is to remember to drink water.<\/p>\n

Fatigue<\/h3>\n

One of the reasons why people are so tired in the winter<\/a> is because they\u2019re forgetting to drink enough water. Your body needs hydration to function properly, and that\u2019s why you have less energy when you\u2019re less hydrated. Healthy food, lots of water, and plenty of electrolytes will all help you have more energy.<\/p>\n

Dry Skin<\/h3>\n

Dry skin is common in the winter for many reasons. Winter air is often dryer than summer air, and the air that comes out of indoor furnaces and central heating can be even dryer than the air outside. However, dry skin also occurs from not drinking enough water, and winter dehydration can definitely cause uncomfortably dry skin. Without enough moisture to the skin barrier, dehydrated skin lacks moisture from the inside. A dehydrated person may therefore have skin that appears not only dry, but also dull, wrinkled and uneven.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re experiencing skin problems and you\u2019re not dehydrated, you could have a genetic skin condition which you could learn about in your skin reports<\/a> from CircleDNA.<\/p>\n

Itchy Skin<\/h3>\n

The dryness of your skin due to winter dehydration and dry air will irritate your skin. In general, dryness is an irritant, and it\u2019s very common for dry skin to be uncomfortably itchy. Drinking more water can help combat the winter itch, as can certain professional skin creams.<\/p>\n

Chapped Lips<\/h3>\n

Chapped, cracked lips and dry mouth are clear signs of dehydration. You\u2019ll have trouble producing enough saliva if you\u2019re dehydrated, which explains dry mouth. Chapped and cracked lips occur when the fragile skin on the lips isn\u2019t getting enough moisture, and the lips start drying out and cracking.<\/p>\n

\"circlemagazine-circledna-winter-dehydration\"<\/figure>\n

Headaches<\/h3>\n

You may have heard that a natural cure for headaches is to chug a bunch of water. This is because dehydration can certainly cause headaches or migraines. Your brain is made up of about 80% water. When you become dehydrated, the loss of fluid causes your brain to shrink and contract from the skull. As your brain pulls away from the skull, it can cause pain in the form of a headache. You\u2019ll likely get fewer headaches if you remember to drink more water and avoid winter dehydration.<\/p>\n

Stiffness While Walking, Trouble Moving, Pain or Muscle Cramps<\/h2>\n

Troubles with mobility (such as stiff legs while walking, muscle soreness, less range of motion or pain while walking) could be due to dehydration. This is because dehydration and loss of electrolytes can cause muscle spasms, joint stiffness, and muscle soreness. Your joints need plenty of water to move properly. Muscle cramps are very common when you\u2019re dehydrated as well. Muscle cramping caused by dehydration can be very painful.<\/p>\n

Brain Fog or Lightheadedness<\/h3>\n

Dehydration can cause dizziness, lightheadedness and brain fog. Your brain needs water to function optimally, as does your body. In extreme cases, dehydration can even cause episodes of severe mental confusion, fainting or loss of consciousness. You might be drinking enough water to stay conscious, but not enough for your brain to function optimally, which is why you\u2019re experiencing brain fog or lightheadedness.<\/p>\n

Dark Urine<\/h3>\n

If your urine is darker in colour, this indicates dehydration. It should be pale yellow, close to clear in colour. It\u2019s important to note that odd colours of urine can be the result of many illnesses. For example, fluorescent, bright canary yellow urine could be a sign of cancer, while dark and amber-coloured urine could be a sign of winter dehydration. If you\u2019re noticing strange colours or odd shades of yellow, please speak to your doctor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sugar Cravings<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to keep our sugar cravings in check because sugar addiction is a real problem. When you\u2019re dehydrated, your body struggles to break down glycogen and releases less glucose into your bloodstream. This leads to sugar cravings and the compulsion to eat sweet treats. If you\u2019ve ever heard the expression, You\u2019re not hungry, you\u2019re actually just thirsty<\/em>, there is plenty of truth to this statement. Instead of reaching for the cookies, drink a few glasses of water.<\/p>\n

There are many ways to remember to drink more water. You can purchase a huge water bottle that holds at least 64 ounces of water. Filling that giant water bottle up in the morning and keeping that bottle in front of you will help you track your daily water intake. You should also drink a glass of water after each meal, and replace other drinks with water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winter dehydration is a common problem because many people crave less water in the colder months, and therefore drink less water in the winter. While it\u2019s common… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2653,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[296,552,758,724,49],"class_list":["post-539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness","tag-chocolate","tag-mental-fitness","tag-outdoor-workout","tag-posture","tag-teeth-grinding-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}