I drink a lot of fluids (not just water but mostly) but not all fluids are of the same hydration value...I was pleased to hear that everyone was speaking about water consumption and not just fluids. Water is still the best hydrator for humans.
My thirst mechanism is off, or doesn't ring or I was trained out of it with all of the I.V.s and fasting so I do not get thirsty or confuse it with hunger too, like Strange.
My doctor gave me 2 rules, 1 is when you are thirsty it is already too late.
You should not wait until thirst to drink but drink regularly and often...thirst means that it has already gone too far on the dehydration scale.
Next is drink when you are hungry and wait and see what happens...your hunger may just vanish.
I also keep a glass or bottle of water beside me at all times just in case.
Temoty, some of the other signs of dehydration can be mental confusion, inability to concentrate, irritableness, sweating, clamminess, anger, seeing things, dried out skin on the top of your hand and a loss of elasticity in your skin (it sort of hangs there)...it is often confused with dementia or Alzheimer's in older people when in fact they are really just dehydrated...plump them up and the problem goes away rather quickly.
Sharon