Five subtle signs you are dehydrated

Thirst and urine color can tell you that you have to gulp more water but sometimes these sins are absent and still you may be dehydrated. This is because some signs of dehydration are subtle. Here are a few of these,

You’re bad-tempered

Researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory tested the mood and concentration of 25 women who drank healthy amounts of water one day, and then didn’t over the next two days. When slightly dehydrated, the women reported fatigue, irritability, headaches and difficulty focusing. In a separate test, men who were mildly dehydrated also experienced fatigue and had a tough time with mental tasks.

You crave cookies

You might mistake needing to drink for wanting to nosh, especially post-exercise. “After a strenuous session, we are not only dehydrated, but our glycogen stores are depleted,” says Kim Larson, RDN, sports dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. Glycogen is a form of stored carbohydrates that our body uses as fuel; the cravings are just our bodies telling us we need more of it.

Your skin does this weird ‘tent-ing’ thing

Pinch the back of your hand and hold for a few seconds; when you let go, your skin should snap back into position pretty quickly. If it’s slow to return to normal, take that as a cue to hydrate. With more moderate or severe dehydration, the pinched-up skin will remain “tented” in place

You drive sloppily

According to research published in Physiology and Behavior, driving while dehydrated may be just as dangerous as getting behind the wheel intoxicated, in terms of how many mistakes you could make on the road. Dehydration causes fatigue and affects our cognitive abilities, like clear thinking and reaction time.

You feel dizzy when you stand too fast

Blood volume and pressure drops when you’re dehydrated, which can leave you feeling dizzy or faint, or bring on that rush of light-headedness after you quickly get up from sitting or lying down.