6 Unusual Signs of Dehydration You Should Know About

1. Bad Breath

“If you’re not producing enough saliva, you can get bacterial overgrowth in the mouth, and one of the side effects of that is bad breath,” says John Higgins, MD, a professor of medicine at UT Health Houston’s McGovern Medical School and senior cardiologist at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital.

2. Dry or Flushed Skin

“A lot of people think that people who get dehydrated are really sweaty, but in fact, as you go through various stages of dehydration, you get very dry skin,” Dr. Higgins says, adding that skin may appear flushed as well.

3. Muscle Cramps

“The hotter you get, the more likely you are to get muscle cramps, and that’s from a pure heat effect on the muscles,” Higgins says. “As the muscles work harder and harder, they can seize up from the heat itself. Changes in the electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, can lead to muscle cramping as well.”

4. Fever and Chills

5. Food Cravings, Especially for Sweets

“When you’re dehydrated, it can be difficult for organs such as the liver, which uses water, to release glycogen [stored glucose] and other components of your energy stores, so you can actually get cravings for food,” Higgins says.

While you can crave anything from chocolate to a salty snack, cravings for sweets are more common because your body may be experiencing difficulty breaking down glycogen to release glucose into the bloodstream to use as fuel, he says.

6. Headaches

Are You Dehydrated, or Is It Something Else?

If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. But lack of thirst doesn’t necessarily mean you’re well hydrated. Here are two other ways to check your hydration.

1. Try this skin test. Use two fingers to pinch up some skin on the back of your hand, and then let go. The skin should spring back to its normal position in less than a couple of seconds. Higgins says that if the skin returns to normal more slowly, you might be dehydrated.

   [13]

2. Check your urine. If you’re well hydrated, your urine will be mostly clear with a tinge of yellow (the color of light lemonade before it hits the bowl). Amber or orange are the “warning” colors to watch for. If your pee is dark, start drinking fluids. (On the flip side, clear or transparent urine could mean you’re getting too much water.)

   [14]

• Fever of 103 degrees F or higher
• Muscle twitching
• Rapid heartbeat
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness or fainting
• Confusion or hallucinations
• Seizures

Additional reporting by Sheryl Huggins Salomon, Laura McArdle, and Kristeen Cherney.