It’s normal to feel a bit dehydrated after consuming cannabis. There is also a condition called dry mouth or cottonmouth, which is another common side effect of using cannabis. Most times, people confuse dry mouth for dehydration, but they are not the same.

Smoking cannabis can cause dry mouths, but that isn’t the same thing as dehydration. Here, we will show you how to avoid dehydration from using marijuana.

How to Avoid Dehydration from Smoking Cannabis

Cannabis can have some effects on the body that can contribute to dehydration. Here are some ways to stay hydrated and comfortable as you ride the wave.

Drink Water

Drinking water is important for a healthy life. As we drink water, we reintroduce fluids and electrolytes our body needs to stay hydrated. Since dehydration is caused by the lack of sufficient water in the body, its cure is to drink more water.

Drinking water also helps in reducing the body’s temperature. Cool water refreshes the body, therefore, reduces the amount of water that gets converted to sweat.

Use Eye Drops

Experiencing dry eyes is another symptom of dehydration. Dry eye occurs when your eyes lack sufficient tears to nourish the eyes. Tears aren’t useful just when you cry, they also play a vital role in washing away foreign materials, and they reduce the risk of infection.

Eye drops can help alleviate the symptoms by reintroducing an alternative to tears in the eyes.

Use Lip Balm

Using lip balms helps keep your mouth moist, void of cracks and looking fresh. Dehydration often causes dry lips, which, if left untreated, could become cracked. Using lip balm stops this from happening.

Stay out of the Sun

Dehydration is a result of loss of body fluids. In simple terms, you’re losing more water than you consume. There are several reasons why this happens, including the body’s temperature.

The hotter your body gets, the more water it loses. Staying under the sun exposes you to warmer temperatures which cause more water to leave your body.

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of water and electrolytes. It is good that you try to introduce fruits and vegetables into your diet.

Avoid Sweet Drinks

It would be best if you avoided sugary drinks when you’re thirsty or feel dehydrated. That’s because it contains high levels of caffeine and sugar, which wouldn’t replace any of the fluids you’ve lost. Instead, it would help if you went for water, tea or milk.

Don’t Mix with Alcohol

Mixing your cannabis with alcohol isn’t a great idea. After drinking for a while, it’s common to feel the urge to pee. Since there is hardly enough fluid in the body, you want to save as much as you can. And alcohol isn’t water, so it only causes your body to lose more water.

Avoid Overeating the Munchies

As you eat up, you reduce the amount of water in your body. Saliva is produced which is made from fluids in the body. When you get high, it is always a good idea to eat moderately or eat with water. That way, you stay hydrated.

Avoid Salty Foods

Salty foods must be toned down by the body. To do this, your body uses more saliva and water to dilute the salt. Avoiding salty foods makes it easier for your body to retain water.

Take Cool Baths

Taking cool baths reduces your body’s core temperature. You sweat less, and you feel better. Dehydration is commonly associated with high temperatures. So taking cold or cool baths eliminates the need for your body to sweat more. Drinking water makes you feel a lot cooler, stay hydrated.

Limit your Smoking

While smoking doesn’t directly cause dehydration, smoking excessively can take things further. If you notice any symptoms of dehydration, we advise that you hydrate first, then smoke. As we explained earlier, smoking makes blood vessels smaller, which makes it more difficult for fluids to reach certain parts of the body. So to get high and remain healthy, you need to be properly hydrated when smoking.

How to Spot Dehydration After Smoking

Because dehydration and cottonmouth share similar symptoms, it’s no surprise that many people fear that cannabis causes dehydration. However, cannabis users can still suffer from dehydration.

In fact, many people suffer from dehydration without realizing it. Studies show that about 75% of Americans suffer chronic dehydration without realizing it. As a smoker, being dehydrated can worsen the effects. With fluids and electrolytes already lacking in smoking, cannabis constricts your blood vessels, further making it difficult for the body to transport water to organs. You may also experience symptoms like lightheadedness.

Anyways, it is always important to stay hydrated, especially if you smoke marijuana. To avoid dehydration, here are some common warning signs you should look out for:

• White tongue
• Dizziness
• Blood pressure and nervous system changes
•   Constipation    
• Extreme thirst
• Dry mouth
• Decreased urination and dark urine
• Back pain 
• Headaches
• Sunken eyes 
• Muscle cramps
• Irritability fainting and confusion

Although some symptoms are similar to the side effects of smoking weed, other symptoms clearly show that you’re dehydrated and not high.

One of the easiest ways to know if you’re dehydrated is by observing your pee. If your urine is dark yellow, you need to drink more water and electrolytes. Your urine must not be crystal clear, but it should have a color similar to a glass of lemonade.

Conclusion

Regardless of how much cannabis you use, drinking water is critical in maintaining good health. And although cannabis causes cottonmouth, other factors can also lead to dehydration. Whenever you smoke, it is wise, however, to stay hydrated.