What does it mean to be thirsty?

Hydration Challenges and Alternatives

• Some struggle to drink enough because even one glass of water feels nauseating or overly filling.
• Suggestions included: sipping slowly, using oral rehydration mixes or sports drinks, carbonated water with lemon, milk, and counting “moisture” from food and desserts as part of the daily total.
• Mixed views on milk: some find it less hydrating and too caloric to substitute for water, even if it’s enjoyable.

Thirst, Dehydration, and Health Effects

• Several people realized late in life that migraines, headaches, or night overheating were actually dehydration, despite little or no subjective thirst.
• Others don’t recognize “thirst” at all and instead notice headaches, dizziness, mental fog, eye issues, or even weird ear sensations as their dehydration signal.
• Many now preemptively drink water + electrolytes during exertion, heat, or long meetings and report dramatic reduction in migraines or post‑exercise headaches.
• Urine color, frequency of urination, and ease of making saliva are commonly used as practical hydration indicators.

Aging and Impaired Thirst

• Multiple commenters confirm that past ~50–60, they feel thirst less strongly and must rely on routines.
• Dehydration in older adults is linked (in discussion) to UTIs, hospitalizations, and functional decline, so prevention is emphasized.

Electrolytes, Salt, and Hyponatremia

• Heavy sweating jobs led some to add salt tablets or mildly salted water; plain water or sugary sports drinks were reported as insufficient.
• Others note that electrolyte supplements themselves can trigger migraines, suggesting sensitivity to sodium concentration, not just volume of water.
• One person mentions “hyponatremic craving” (craving salt when over‑diluted with water) and questions the article’s claim that humans lack strong salt desire, citing strong personal salt cravings.

Cultural and Behavioral Aspects of Water Intake

• Debate over large “gallon jug” habits: some see it as overhyped health fad or mild obsession; others defend it as harmless or necessary for personal/medical reasons.
• Disagreement on whether “if you need water, you’ll feel thirsty” is reliable, with many examples showing thirst can be blunted or misinterpreted as hunger.

Satiety and Protein

• Tangential discussion: why protein is so filling so quickly. Hypotheses include the body prioritizing protein needs and possible acid‑buffering effects in the stomach, but commenters stress these are speculative.