A dumb but genuine question

[AmyStake]

How would I know if I was dehydrated?

I've had a headache for about two weeks now that's far worse AM than it is PM. Especially when I wake up. I've got terrible eyes and I work ironically in an opticians, so I've had had my eyes tested and it revealed nothing really as to why I should have a permanent headache. Doesn't lessen with paracetamol either.

DP asks me if I've been drinking enough water. The penny drops.. .

I can tell by squeezing the flesh on my hand, behind index finger. If it springs back straight away, I'm well hydrated, if it takes longer, I'm dehydrated.

Your wee will be more yellow.

Could it be caffeine withdrawl. If you drink a fair bit during the day then you may have a withdrawl headache when you wake up which goes as you start drinking it again.......

Drink LOTS of water first thing in the morning and see if it gets better.

I get a headache when I don't drink enough too. I feel it in my eyes first then the back of my neck. If I leave it then I get a migraine. Since I worked out the cause, it never gets to that stage anymore.

I just drink loads when I start feeling groggy.

Micky that's exactly what I'm getting! Feels like my eye condition is playing me up which is why I didn't even think I wasn't drinking enough water.

Today I've made a real conscious effort to drink as much water and my head feels a lot better than it has done.

Alice - am doing very dark wees. Only noticed yesterday, it was like a first morning wee, dark amber, and this was at 5pm.

I feel like such a moron, I never even thought that I wasn't drinking enough but now I think about it I'm not drinking a lot of fluid at all lately :(.

I was told by a health visitor that I can check for dehydration in my son by lookin at his tongue - If its dry and slightly whiteish in colour, thats a sign of dehydration. Health Visitors dont always know best though!