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FWIW it's worth, I typed "By the time you're thirsty you're dehydrated" into Google and received several pages of links. Didn't look at all of them, but the first several seem to be from medical centers and other respected medical sources.
Maybe you should have read the material in these links.
The first link is an article by Dana Benson at Baylor. Great except she merely repeats the "rule of thumb" that being thirsty means you are already dehydrated. Whatever that means. As to her creds, she is the Director of Communications with absolutely no training or expertise in the field.
For the second link the article states that a dry, cotton mouth feeling is a sign that dehydration is starting. Duh! Of course there is are no details or data presented. "That cotton-mouth, thirsty feeling is your body telling you it's time to get some more water."
The third link does not even mention thirst or the supposed "rule of thumb" that thirst is an insufficient sign of dehydration.
These links prove nothing and don't even support the notion of this rule of thumb.
Someone suffering from heat related illness (heat exhaustion or heat stroke) often doesn't feel thirst. Quite often the opposite as another common sign of heat illness is nausea.
That might occur in the late stages of dehydration when the individual is all but comatose. That has nothing to do with carrying water and drinking every few minutes or every few hours throughout a normal day. Heading out in the blazing desert sun and going for hours without any water is a different issue. Even then it is amazing how well our bodies can do. Humans developed in hot and dry climates without water bottles.
Maybe you should have read the material in these links.
The first link is an article by Dana Benson at Baylor. Great except she merely repeats the "rule of thumb" that being thirsty means you are already dehydrated. Whatever that means. As to her creds, she is the Director of Communications with absolutely no training or expertise in the field.
For the second link the article states that a dry, cotton mouth feeling is a sign that dehydration is starting. Duh! Of course there is are no details or data presented. "That cotton-mouth, thirsty feeling is your body telling you it's time to get some more water."
The third link does not even mention thirst or the supposed "rule of thumb" that thirst is an insufficient sign of dehydration.
These links prove nothing and don't even support the notion of this rule of thumb.
Isn't just logical and part of being alive that if you are thirsty you are starting to dehydrate? Your body is telling you it's time to drink. It doesn't mean you're going to pass out in 10 minutes unless your are losing fluids rapidly like hiking in the desert when it's 110.
The whole purpose of being thirsty is to replenish your body water before it becomes a medical issue. I don't think this should be earth shattering news to anyone, nor does it mean your body is starting to break down from lack of water just because you're thirsty unless you get thirstier and thirstier without drinking for several more hours under normal circumstances.
Here's an interesting article about carrying water around with you all day and drinking too much water. Yes, drinking water all day when you're not thirsty has consequences too including headaches, nausea, muscle weakness and your're washing out the necessary sodium your body needs to function. There is such a thing as water intoxication. https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/d...oo-much-water/
I think we all have different experiences with this. My mother is 87, healthy with no dementia, no walker or assisted living. She never carried water around with her and drank water from the kitchen faucet when she was thirsty.
We drink bottled water and cook with tap. We prefer the taste of bottled water and feel that it is safer. At times the public is notified of a contamination of public water long after the event itself. Yes we pay for it but for us it's worth it. And by the way a gallon of Crystal Geyser is 79 cents and a gallon of gas is $2.95.
People are not toting gallons everywhere. They are toting 12-oz bottles, @79c, or more. Which is more per gallon than gas.
Leaving aside the fact that water bottles weren't even offered just about everywhere in public back then...
If someone wanted a drink they'd ask for it. Nowadays you might be refused if you asked for water somewhere. Some restaurants don't even put water on tables unless you ask. 30 years ago if they weren't carrying a canteen they may have been carrying a can of soda, juice, a thermos, or even a beer. This American has never decided it must carry bottled water anywhere, but then this American never hauls much around anyway. No purse, handbag, satchel, backpack or whatever. Usually keys and wallet, maybe a chap stick. I refuse to join the ranks of plastic water bottle addicts. If I know I'll get thirsty I plan ahead and carry a refillable canteen or get water where I'm going.
You do have to ask for water at most restaurants, but do people drink it?
My siblings drive me nuts about this.
We go out to eat several times a week. They always ask for water - and get huge glasses. They drink maybe a fourth of it. What a waste. The server's time, ice machine, dish washing machine, etc.
Yes, but I don't think you lose your ability to be thirsty when you are in heat or your body needs water. People like her probably don't realize how fast your body loses water outside on a hot day. I'm sure she was confident she wasn't going to get thirsty on her hike. She was wrong. That doesn't mean she needed to sip water off and on all day. Going hiking without water is very foolish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
The only situation I can think of where someone doesn't realize they are thirsty, is when you have dementia.
And sometimes, a person can be so into a project that they don't want to take time to go find a drink even if they're thirsty. I try to always have a glass or bottle of water handy, for when I'm thirsty. But, that's just so that when my body says I'm thirsty, I can easily grab a drink.
But, I still don't understand this obsession to drink so darn much every day. I just think in terms of my dog. She drinks when she's thirsty, and she just doesn't drink that much, since I feed her a moist diet (raw food, mostly).
It's just not logical that humans need so much more water than other creatures who aren't distracted by work and kids, etc. They run on pure natural needs. They are very aware of when they are thirsty and need to drink. And they just don't drink the amounts we are told we need as humans. So, I just don't think it makes sense.
Actually, you do change as you age - here are a couple blurbs:
As you age, your sense of thirst lessens and the kidney isn’t able to conserve body water as well. Over the age of 50, you may feel tired and draggy rather than thirsty, and may opt for a nap instead of a tall glass of water. If you remain dehydrated, you can end up suffering complications, some of which can be serious.
Dehydration is a frequent cause of hospitalization of older adults and one of the ten most frequent diagnoses responsible for hospitalization in the United-States.
Maybe some people are just too smart and override their natural inclination - I know for a fact my mom would try NOT to drink if she was going out shopping as it could be hard to find public restrooms 50 years ago (sometimes it's hard now to find decent ones!).
And I've read for years that if you wait until you FEEL thirsty then you are already dehydrated and by golly you don't EVER want to be dehydrated!
I remember growing up, we would drink out of the garden hose just about everyday when playing outdoors. Now when I tell younger people that, they practically gag.
Drinking bottled water and carrying around some with you everywhere you go seems like a status symbol to me. It's part of the culture showing others you are modern, hip and too good to drink public water out of a fountain or even your own faucet.
There has been countless testing done on bottled water and the vast majority is no better than water from your own kitchen regardless of the brand name of the water you are buying.
Many big name bottled water companies get their water from public water, the same water that comes out of your tap, not somewhere in Fiji nor Alaska glaciers, LOL.
Public water fountains? Do they even have them anymore?
Anyway, I carry a bottle of tap water, in my case well water, in the car just in case I get thirsty because I am pretty sure I am not going to run across a water fountain anywhere. I rarely carry the bottle with me because I am usually not away from the car more than a couple of hours at a time.
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