Dehydration

Dehydration is common in our hurried lives, as many people fail to drink enough water, or they mistake thirst for hunger and eat more food instead of drinking fluids. Coffee and carbonated beverages are no substitute for plain water. When ill and when exercising the body needs even more fluids.

About Dehydration

Dehydration can be caused by many things. The most common causes are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and the sweating that usually occurs. This is why your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill. Your body uses fluids to expel toxins as well as to keep your system running smoothly.

Signs and Symptoms:
The symptoms of dehydration usually begin with thirst and progress to more alarming symptoms as the need for water becomes more dire. The initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2 perent of its total fluid. These mild dehydration symptoms are:
Thirst
Loss of Appetite
Dry Skin
Skin Flushing
Dark Colored Urine
Dry Mouth
fatigue or Weakness
Chills
Head Rushes

If the dehydration continues untreated, and the total fluid loss reaches 5 percent, the following effects are normally experienced:

Increased heart rate
Increased respiration
Decreased sweating
Decreased urination
Increased body temperature
Extreme fatigue
Muscle cramps
Headaches
Nausea
Tingling of the limbs

When the body reaches 10 percent fluid loss, emergency help is needed immediately. 10 percent fluid loss and higher is often fatal. The symptoms of severe dehydration are:

Muscle spasms
Vomiting
Racing pulse
Shriveled skin
Dim vision
Painful urination
Confusion
Difficulty breathing
Seizures
Chest and Abdominal pain
Unconsciousness

These are not the only symptoms that may manifest in response to dehydration, but these are the most common. The symptoms of dehydration will differ from person to person because the body is a complex network of systems and everyone's body is different. Age also plays a part in the manifestation of symptoms. Signs of dehydration in a child will not be the same as those experienced by a teenager, adult or in the elderly. Dehydration prevention is the best treatment for every age group because heatstroke could also happen.

Treatment:
When a person becomes dehydrated they have also lost electrolytes, the type of electrolytes needed for rehydration are sodium and potassium salts that are usually found in sports drinks like Gatorade and pediatric formulas like Pedialite. If a person is showing minor symptoms give them plenty of water and let them drink it very slowly, in small sips.

If Gatorade or Pedialite are not available, slowly replenish the body's liquids with water and follow that up after symptoms have subsided with a small salty snack or a very light meal. But, if a person is showing some of the more severe symptoms of dehydration as listed above, call an ambulance immediately. He or she may be past the point where ingestion of the proper fluids will help, so you will need to get them medical attention immediately.

Created by vickiz

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