Woman's Doctor: Staying hydrated is important, even during winter

BALTIMORE —

While it seems easy to stay hydrated during the hot summer months, it's important to drink the same amount of water during the winter, too.

Dr. Ernestine Wright with Mercy Medical Center said women need eight glasses of water each day, on average. For men, the average number rises to 12.

Wright said around 20% of that water actually comes from food, such as fruits and vegetables.

"I think with women, women find it harder to recognize dehydration, and that's because if you think about the menstrual cycle during the latter phase, or luteal phase, when progesterone increases, it does tend to cause fluid retention. So, women may find it difficult to find that they are dehydrated during that time, because they may feel that, because of their fluid retention, they're actually hyd