<p>If you've experienced a dry mouth or feelings of thirst after smoking weed, you might think that weed does cause dehydration. If you smoke a lot and always get cotton mouth after smoking, you're not alone. Cotton mouth, which is a term for the feeling of "dry mouth", is a common side effect for most people who smoke weed. Cotton mouth is a common side effect to deal with when smoking weed, but is different from dehydration.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Dehydration is described as a dangerous loss of body fluid, caused by illness, sweating, or inadequate intake. Dehydration is basically when your body loses more fluids than it takes in.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Scientists have proven that weed does not cause dehydration. If you start to feel "dehydrated" after you smoke, it's likely that you were already dehydrated before you started smoking. Dry mouth is one of the most common side effects from smoking that has people wondering if smoking weed causes them to get dehydrated.</p>
<h2 id="0">Why Do I Get A Dry Mouth After Smoking?</h2>
<p>The feeling of dry mouth after smoking is what makes so many people wonder if it's the weed that's causing them to be dehydrated. Since we now know that weed isn't causing dehydration, it's common to wonder what is? Scientists have discovered that the feeling of "cotton mouth" occurs when the cannabinoids in the marijuana bind to some of our receptors in the body. The binding of cannabinoids to the receptors in the body causes a slowdown in the creation of saliva. You might notice the same dry feeling in the mouth after taking some antihistamines like Benadryl because they also block some other binding receptors in the body to cause similar effects.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img title="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673827631/articles/mqid6zifunmqgikyorir.jpg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673827631/articles/mqid6zifunmqgikyorir.jpg" alt="Dry mouth" width="400" height="400" /></p>
<h3 id="1">What is Cotton Mouth?</h3>
<p>Cotton mouth, also known as Dry Mouth or Xerostomia is when your salivary glands don't make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Dry mouth is a common side effect from <a href="https://weedzly.com/library/9-alternative-ways-to-smoke-weed-without-a-pipe-or-papers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">smoking</a> cannabis. Having a dry mouth is not fun, as it can lead to a whole bunch of other side effects. These include:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Dry lips</li>
<li>Bad breath</li>
<li>Difficulty swallowing, speaking, or eating</li>
<li>An altered sense of taste</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="2">Can Edibles Cause Cotton Mouth?</h3>
<p>Cotton mouth doesn't happen because of smoking or vaping cannabis, it just has to do with what's directly inside the cannabis plant. Yes, an <a href="https://weedzly.com/library/how-long-does-it-take-for-edibles-to-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">edible</a> or tincture could still cause result in one experiencing cotton mouth. The contents of the edible are containing cannabis, so the end result is the same.</p>
<p><img title="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1668467045/articles/juqvzd43p0iryzob6pn3.jpg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1668467045/articles/juqvzd43p0iryzob6pn3.jpg" alt="Weed Edibles Do Cause Dehydration" width="250" height="250" /></p>
<h3 id="3">How To Avoid Cotton Mouth&nbsp;</h3>
<p>Getting cotton mouth while smoking is very annoying as it's a feeling of dehydration but in your mouth. Dry mouth is reported to be one of the most common side effects from smoking weed. Whenever you have cotton mouth, you want to drink water or other liquids to quench your thirst. Here are a few things you could do to avoid cotton mouth:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Keep a water bottle near you. Drinking water is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of cotton mouth. Drinking water is not a long term solution, as that same feeling of dry mouth may come back minutes later. That's why it's always a good idea to have a water bottle near you when you're smoking.</li>
<li>Chew a Sugar-Free Gum. Chewing sugar free gum is a proven method of triggering the salivary glands to release more saliva. If you're feeling dry mouth and want a quick fix, chew some gum. Sugar free is best as you won't have to worry about any negative health risks. Sugar free gum is something you will be able to use long term without facing other significant health risks.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Suck On A Hard Candy. Another way to increase salivary flow is to suck on a hard candy, like a lollipop or jolly rancher. Sucking on a hard candy is another proven way to make the salivary glands release more saliva.</li>
<li>Avoid Caffeine &amp; Alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol both are diuretics, meaning that they cause your body to produce more urine. This is bad if you're dehydrated as your body is already low on water, and by creating more urine your body is getting rid of more water.</li>
</ul>
<p><img title="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1668467158/articles/o1mrgrh2jmvxdln6r1tk.jpg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1668467158/articles/o1mrgrh2jmvxdln6r1tk.jpg" alt="Water Bottle For Thirst" width="250" height="250" /></p>
<h3 id="4">Why Does Weed Make You Thirsty?</h3>
<p>If you've gotten the feelings of urgent thirst after smoking weed, you're not alone. Cotton Mouth is one of the most common side effects from smoking weed, and that happens because of a scientific reaction that occurs after smoking. The cannabinoids inside of the cannabis attach to the Submandibular Glands inside of the mouth that produce saliva. When they bind to those glands, the production of saliva is affected. Saliva is produced at a much slower pace. This is why you feel thirsty after you smoke some weed or eat some edibles.</p>
<h3 id="5">Recognizing If You're Dehydrated</h3>
<p>Since the symptoms of dehydration and side effects of cannabis usage seem similar, it's understandable why so many people mix the two up. It's important that cannabis users understand the difference in dehydration and cotton mouth<br />so they can know the right signs to look out for. Here are a few signs of Dehydration to look out for:</p>
<p>- Extreme thirst<br />- Dry mouth<br />- Dizziness<br />- Fatigue<br />- Dark urine<br />- Headaches<br />- Constipation<br />- Muscle cramps<br />- Sunken eyes</p>
<p>If you're experiencing some of these symptoms, it's likely that you are dehydrated. If you're feeling dehydrated you should try to drink plenty of fluids and get hydrated before you try and smoke weed.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 id="6">How To Avoid Dehydration</h3>
<p>Staying hydrated is one of the most important parts to keeping your body healthy. Water plays so many significant roles in your system that it's important to make sure your body has plenty. Our body loses water every day, that's why it's so important to make sure that we're constantly taking more water in.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you're looking to prevent dehydration, you should drink plenty of fluids daily. Also it's important to eat fruits and vegetables as they're high in water content. Staying hydrated is the easiest way to stay healthy and make sure your body is functioning properly.</p>
<p><img title="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673827432/articles/flojvkj8vh8puok8ihbb.jpg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673827432/articles/flojvkj8vh8puok8ihbb.jpg" alt="Glass of water" width="261" height="261" /></p>