Every list of healthy habits includes the basics – exercise, good nutrition, and staying hydrated. Guidance from nutrition experts suggests eight cups of water per day for optimal health, but that leaves important questions unanswered. 

How do coffee and other caffeinated drinks fit into the eight cups per day equation? Do caffeinated beverages cause dehydration, and if so, how can coffee lovers regain a healthy balance of fluids? How does dehydration affect the body? Perhaps most importantly in the time of COVID-19, does caffeine dehydrate lungs? 

Is Coffee a Diuretic? Does Coffee Dehydrate You?

When you drink coffee and other caffeinated beverages, you are consuming fluids. Logically, that should contribute to keeping your body hydrated. However, you have probably heard that coffee has a dehydrating effect, and caffeinated beverages aren’t as effective at helping you stay hydrated as their non-caffeinated peers. 

The reasoning behind this bit of advice is that caffeine in general – and coffee in particular – works as a diuretic. Diuretics are substances that prompt your kidneys to release additional sodium into your urine. When the sodium is released, it pulls water along with it. Some people are prescribed diuretics by their physicians in an effort to decrease the amount of fluid in the circulatory system. This helps to bring blood pressure down. 

Though caffeine is a diuretic, the effects are quite mild. When it comes to coffee, the diuretic effect of the caffeine doesn’t offset the fluid you consume. Therefore, coffee’s diuretic properties don’t cause dehydration, though coffee doesn’t do much to help restore hydration if your body needs more water. 

How Does Dehydration Affect Your Lungs?

Water is responsible for a wide variety of critical bodily functions. It works in the blood to transport nutrients and oxygen, and it controls blood pressure and heart rate. Water helps to regulate your body temperature, and it is important for ensuring your joints are properly lubricated. It helps with removal of waste and toxins, and it protects your organs and tissues from disease and damage. 

The human body is roughly 60 percent water, which is why staying hydrated is so important for good health. Some organs rely on water more than others to function. For example, the brain and heart are 73 percent water, and your lungs are approximately 83 percent water. When you become dehydrated, the lungs feel the impact first. 

Symptoms of Pulmonary Dehydration

Some of the first signs of dehydration include dry or sticky mouth and dry airways. Your tongue may feel swollen, and your mucous membranes, for example those inside your nose, also feel dry and uncomfortable. You may start to notice your energy levels decrease, and fatigue tends to set in fairly quickly. You might feel weak, and dizziness or lightheadedness is quite common – especially when you go from sitting to standing quickly. 

Many people have headaches when dehydration is a problem, and feelings of depression or irritability are frequently reported. Over time, dehydration can cause your skin to become progressively more dry, putting you at greater risk for cuts, nicks, and tears. In serious cases of dehydration, unplanned weight loss may occur. 

Constipation is a frequent effect of dehydration, and you will probably urinate less frequently. When you do urinate, the color is a much deeper yellow than you are accustomed to. Conversely, the lighter and clearer your urine is, the higher your hydration levels. 

Note that if your urine appears orange, you may be dangerously dehydrated, and immediate intervention is needed. Speak with your physician right away. This also applies if you have severe nausea or vomiting, an inability to sweat or produce tears, a rapid heartbeat, sunken eyes, and/or feelings of confusion and disorientation. 

Who is at Risk for Dehydration? 

It is quite common to be a bit dehydrated as you go about the business of daily living. Busy schedules don’t offer much time to check in with yourself to see how you are feeling, and there may not be time to focus on healthy eating and getting enough fluids.

It’s not unusual to feel hungry when your body is actually trying to signal thirst, so when you are dehydrated, you might be snacking instead of having something to drink. 

Athletes are at particular risk for dehydration, as are those that participate in strenuous workouts. A lot of water leaves the body when you sweat, so make it a point to increase your fluid intake when you exercise. 

The symptoms of certain illnesses increase the likelihood that you will become dehydrated. For example, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea all contribute to fluid loss. It’s critical to combat the dehydrating effects of these symptoms, as dehydration can reduce your ability to fight off infections and heal from your illness. 

Some medications are particularly dehydrating, which makes staying hydrated a challenge for those with certain diseases. Examples of drugs that dehydrate include blood pressure medications, antihistamines, diuretics, laxatives, and chemotherapy. 

If you become dangerously dehydrated, sports drinks and over-the-counter electrolyte drinks sold at most pharmacies and grocery stores will help rehydrate you quickly. Try to get ahead of the issue by drinking these sorts of beverages as soon as you are at risk. 

Treatment for Caffeine Dehydration of Lungs

The best thing you can do for your lungs, and for the rest of your body, is to make hydration a priority. Caffeine isn’t the best choice if hydration is your goal, so you may want to choose decaffeinated versions of your favorite beverages. 

Of course, water is the best way to rehydrate. You can aim for the generally accepted goal of eight cups per day. However, if you aren’t a fan of water, there are other options to increase your fluid intake.

Milk is good for rehydrating, and it comes with protein, Vitamin D, and calcium. Herbal tea is caffeine-free, and it offers a warm, flavorful way to keep your fluid intake up. 

Fruit-infused water adds flavor without adding calories or sugar, and coconut water is a tasty, low sugar way to increase your fluids. Fruit juices are typically about 85 percent water, which makes them useful for rehydrating, but the downside is they tend to contain a lot of sugar. Some people enjoy a half fruit juice/half water mix that increases fluid intake without the excessive amounts of sugar.

Sports drinks have the same downside, but they can be highly effective at restoring hydration – especially after a strenuous workout or a lot of time in the heat. 

If you aren’t measuring your fluid intake, be sure to have a glass of water anytime your mouth feels dry. Water is necessary for saliva production, so a lack of saliva is one of the first signs that fluids are low.

When your mouth is dry, your airways are dry, so your lungs don’t have the moisture needed to operate at their best. If you can’t bear the thought of drinking anything else, consider water-rich fruits and veggies like watermelon, cucumbers, cantaloupe, lettuce, and strawberries.  

Avoid alcohol when you are working on better hydration. Beverages containing more than 10 percent alcohol are proven to dehydrate your body, which affects all of your internal organs. For example, you have probably noticed that when you wake up with a hangover, your lungs don’t feel as strong as they usually do.

While caffeine isn’t your biggest worry when it comes to staying hydrated, it can contribute to general issues with dehydration. Low fluid intake limits your body’s ability to function at its peak, and you may discover your lungs, kidneys, heart, and other organs are affected. Make staying hydrated a priority to ensure optimal health.