I grew up drinking almost exclusively Coke (thanks mom and dad!), and it took me a very long time to realize that my "craving" for Coke was actually just thirst.

These days I try to stick exclusively to drinking water, but I definitely understand how people can be chronically dehydrated like that when their body is so conditioned to drinking garbage.

To this day, I'll still occasionally think "man, I could really go for a can of Coke," but then I drink water and it goes away.

Some of us have been failed by biology and never get thirsty. Makes you seem kinda stupid sometimes when you go "Huh, why do I have a headache and a dry mouth? Oh, right, I haven't had anything to drink since yesterday."

I have ADHD. This has two consequences:

1. My ADHD meds are a diuretic, so on days when I take them I expel more water than I otherwise would. Making matters worse, I feel like when I take them I often just don't really get thirsty. As a result, if I don't pretty actively remind myself to drink water then I can easily find myself only noticing that I'm thirsty when I'm noticeably pretty dehydrated. Like, "wtf why are my eyes so dry? Oh right I don't think I've had any water since like yesterday morning".
2. On days when I don't take my meds (weekends), I might notice I'm thirsty but then just get distracted by something and forget about it for hours. The same applies to a lot of other bodily needs. No, I don't know how I've survived this long.

As people age, their thirst reflex tends to diminish or reduce. There are a few reasons for this:

1. The hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body functions like thirst, becomes less sensitive to changes in the body's water levels. As a result, older adults do not feel thirsty even when their bodies need more water.

2. Kidneys become less effective at concentrating urine as one ages. This means older kidneys lose more water during the process of filtering and eliminating waste from the blood. However, the reduced thirst reflex does not signal the body to drink more water to compensate for this loss.

3. Levels of hormones like vasopressin, which help the kidneys conserve water, tend to decrease with age. This further impairs the kidneys' ability to retain water and increases the risk of dehydration if fluid intake is not sufficient.

4. Physical changes like loss of muscle mass and a slower metabolism reduce the overall fluid needs of the body. But the thirst mechanism is not adjusted accordingly, leading to inadequate fluid intake if one relies solely on thirst.

In summary, age-related physiological changes in the brain and kidneys undermine the body's ability to sense dehydration through thirst. This is why it is important for older adults to drink water regularly, even when not feeling thirsty, to maintain proper hydration.

In a personal note, at 40 years old, in noticing this effect already.

I work a desk job and I used to be too lazy to get up and get a drink, and I tend to also not notice when really focused on something. When I'm outside, I notice the thirst a lot more, but in a climate controlled room sitting at a desk, it's less urgent.

So I keep a bottle next to me all day and refill when I empty it every couple hours. I don't count how much I drink, and I don't think the "8 glasses every day" thing is particularly relevant, but I am plenty hydrated throughout the day (probably something like 6 cups of whatever without thinking about it, maybe more).

I don't get thirsty. at all. I need to actively remind myself to drink water or else I get a splitting headache after a while

Yeah but then I’ll get a class of water, set it down on my desk and proceed to not drink it for another couple of hours.

Surprisingly, you can get dehydrated and not thirsty. I've had this happen. Not often, but it does happen. Usually, my caffeine addiction makes sure that I get enough hydration, though.

Everyone's experiences are subjective. Some people experience thirst as hunger for instance.

And the beer we drink?

I need to keep a filled glass on my desk for that to work. Being focused on a task tends to keep me from going to fetch a drink when I'm thirsty, but “refill glass when empty” is a thing my brain seems to be able to do.

That's a great baseline my dude. I do this personally and drink half to 3/4ths of a gallon a day. More if It's hot and/or I've been doing more physical stuff.

What's up follow Hydro Homie!? =D

Come join us if you haven't already. !hydrohomies@lemmy.ml

Yes! The biggest thing is having a cup you like and always keep it with you. Personally I recommend one with a straw as you're even more likely to reach and sip without thinking. But I promise if it's next to you, you will drink more without any effort

Can you recommend a good filter?

Roughly the duration of a football match in the pub? 3 pints a half and last one before I head home or out after—I'd be lying if I didn't say that's happened more than once.

Not saying that isn't a bit of a heavy one, but it's also not that uncommon in the UK, I'd say

My understanding is that much of our hydration comes from food. Cooked rice, for example, is 70 percent water, and tomatoes are 94 percent. Absolutely aim to drink as much as you can, but a gallon won't be necessary unless you only eat plain crackers.

Well... and passing out.

Only if it's clear. /S