You can get these fluids by drinking eight glasses containing eight ounces of water each. You may also be able to get fluids from food. Milk and juice for instance, are comprised mostly of water. Coffee, tea and soda also have water but also contain caffeine, which is a mild diuretic and increases fluid loss. [3] X Research source [4] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If you exercise a lot, though, you need to increase your fluid intake largely due to sweating, which is the body’s way of cooling itself. Before exercising, consume 16-20 ounces of fluids, 6-8 ounces every 10 to 15 minutes while you’re exercising and 16-24 ounces afterward to replace what you lost. [5] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
It is a good practice to keep a bottle of water with you when you exercise or when you are going to be outside for long periods of time. Buy a reusable water bottle that you can wash between uses instead of a flimsy disposable bottle.
With lettuce, eat the outer leaves within a day or two of buying it. Initially, lettuce contains more water in its outer leaves, but it stays longer in its internal leaves. [8] X Research source
When cooking meat or anything for that matter, make sure to limit your use of salt and spices to reduce your thirst. Both will make you thirsty. Spicy foods and foods containing a lot of salt, like ham, white bread, ketchup, chips, processed cheese and meat pizza, will naturally also increase thirst, too.
Drinking more water won’t help much either. Your body will only retain about 1/3 to 1/2 of the extra water you drink. Most of it will come out in your urine. [13] X Research source It’s this process of dehydration that is the main cause of the dreaded hangover.
Be warned, xylitol is often in sugar-free gum and sugar-free candies, and it can lead to diarrhea or cramps if enough is consumed. [15] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Sour candy cranks up your saliva glands, so if you can handle it give it a try, too. Chewing on whole mint leaves is cooling, refreshing and will also help quench your thirst.
Lemon is another fruit you can also suck on frozen, or fresh if you like. It is one of the most effective fruits because its high level of citric acid really gets the saliva going. [16] X Research source
Run your errands in the early morning, for example. Have lunch delivered to your office rather than getting into your sweltering car twice – once on the way to lunch and again on your return. If staying out of the heat isn’t possible, try to limit the length of each outing as much as you can. Use buildings and trees to provide shade from the sun. And don’t forget that air conditioning was created for a purpose – to keep you cool.
If outside, wear lightweight, light-colored cotton or linen clothes. Light-colored clothes will reflect, rather than absorb, the sun’s rays. Cotton and linen are both fabrics that breathe, so they won’t trap heat like polyester, acrylic, nylon and rayon fabrics will. [19] X Research source If you can avoid layers, definitely do so. They will only trap in heat to a greater extent, creating more sweat and less room for its escape. Stay away from tight-fitting clothes, too, unless they are specifically designed for breathability and to wick sweat.
When you do exercise, a) wear only one layer of both lightweight and light-colored clothes when exercising outside and b) if your clothes become wet from sweat, change as soon as possible. And remember, a brisk walk on a hot and humid summer day can cause quite the sweat, too. When it’s humid, the moisture in the air stops sweat from evaporating from your skin, leaving you baking inside.
You can also try putting ice cubes in a thin towel and placing it for about two minutes at a time against your neck and on your wrist, two pulse points that you can reach conveniently throughout the day. This works because pulse points are areas in which blood vessels are close to the surface of the skin, therefore allowing for the transfer of cold through the body. [24] X Research source Another option is to soak the base of your head and neck in cool water for 5-10 minutes. Here again, this area has a large concentration of blood vessels close to the skin’s surface and will help cool you down quickly. [25] X Research source
If you’re a smoker and not ready to quit, try smoking less frequently, smoke only half of a cigarette at a time or wait longer between each puff – whatever it takes to decrease your overall intake.
Visit the dentist regularly for exams and cleanings. Also have any necessary work done as soon as possible to correct existing problems contributing to or worsening your dry mouth.
While there, talk to the pharmacist about whether any medications you might be on cause excessive thirst or dry mouth. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, over 400 medicines – from those for high blood pressure to those used for depression – can cause the salivary glands to produce less saliva. [32] X Research source
Make sure you regularly clean the humidifier to avoid the growth of bacteria and mold.
