Can you spot the signs of dehydration? Cooleraid indicates the first 5 symptoms to look out for.

Feeling extra thirsty – Thirst is your body’s first attempt to tell you that you need to be drinking more water. On average, we should all be drinking 2-3 litres a day so keep topping up your glass from a water cooler or keep bottled water by your desk and remind yourself to keep drinking!

Dizziness – If you stand up from your desk feeling lighted-headed and dizzy, it is highly-likely you are dehydrated. Lack of water in the blood stream causes your blood pressure to drop and decreases the blood flow to the brain. So sit back down and reach for that glass of water.

Dark urine – When you are dehydrated, your kidneys hang on to what little water you have consumed for as long as possible, meaning you don’t need to go to the loo that often and when you do, your urine is a dark yellow/orange. If you are drinking enough water, the colour of your urine should be light yellow and you should be going to the loo several times a day.

Tiredness – Feeling tired is often a sign of mild dehydration. When you have consumed an insufficient amount of water, your body has to work twice as hard to function properly and as a result, causes fatigue. Cooleraid recommends you have a mains-fed or bottled water cooler installed in every office to encourage employees to stay hydrated which will result in increased productivity.

Dry lips – Chapped or cracked lips are one of the first physical signs of dehydration. You may also get dry eyes and, in worse cases, dry skin that doesn’t bounce back when you pinch it. This can cause your skin to age more rapidly as dehydration causes it to lose its elasticity. So stay young, stay healthy, and drink more water!