Dehydration is a condition not to be taken lightly.  Depending on a person’s age and his body weight, dehydration can cause complication and death in a matter of minutes particularly among young children and the elderly.   Therefore knowing what causes dehydration and how to prevent and relieve the symptoms is very important especially if you are expecting hot summer seasons.

What Causes Dehydration?

*Vomiting and Diarrhea.  These two are the most common causes for dehydration especially among children.  Whatever the cause for vomiting and diarrhea it is, you lose a lot of water quickly and if you lose water continuously without rapid replacement, it could cause serious complications.

*Sweat and Heat.  Other than eliminating waste, sweat is also for cooling the body.  But with scenarios such as increased temperature or fever, you may end up losing sweat (and water) more rapidly.

*Insufficient Fluid Intake.  This is commonly seen in the elderly because they don’t get thirsty as much or as easily even when they’re already near dehydrated.

*Injuries.   Burns and bleeding can also cause dehydration because continuous bleeding forces fluid out while burnt skin can’t keep fluid in and causes the fluid-electrolyte balance to go haywire.

Symptoms of Dehydration

*The thirst mechanism is your body’s first attempt to let you know that you need fluids.  A dry mouth, parched throat and sometimes even pangs of hunger are common manifestations of this.  Water is usually enough to relieve these symptoms.

*If there is a prolonged lack of fluid intake, the symptoms then begin to progress.  You may begin to experience headache, nausea and vomiting, decreased sweating, muscle cramps, increased heart rate and decreased urine output as the body tries to compensate for lost fluid.  This coping mechanism for dehydration however won’t hold out for very long however.

*Further prolonged period of fluid imbalance will result in severe weakness and mental disturbances that can lead to coma and even death if left unresolved.

Treatment for Dehydration

At the heart of managing dehydration is replenishing lost fluids.  Depending on the severity of the symptoms, you can help alleviate or even treat dehydration with ample amount of water, electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade, liquid based foods such as soup or jelly and fluid replacement therapies initiated by qualified professionals.

Another important part in the management of dehydration is to determine and relieve its root cause.  If a person is overheated (as in heat stroke), moving the person to a cooler room or a shaded area can help.  If the person has a fever, infection or an undelrying medical condition, treating the cause and taking appropriate medication should be done.  The person should also be closely monitored for changes, especially the urine output.  An increase of this is a good indicator of the body’s improving hydration status.

Tips to Prevent Dehydration

*Always have a ready fluid source available at your person especially if you are always on the go.

*If it’s possible, stay inside a cool place during hot or dry seasons.  If you need to do heavy activities, try scheduling them during cooler hours of the day.

*Always make sure you drink plenty of water an hour before exercise to prevent dehydration. Take small sips of water during your water but do not drink an entire bottle right before or during exercise.

*Watch out for high risk dehydration patients such as young children and the elderly.  Encourage the elderly to stick to a fluid intake regimen a day even if they don’t feel thirsty.  Presenting other forms of fluids such as broth or juice can help.

*Keep yourself healthy by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and observing safety practices to protect against conditions that can induce dehydration.

References

https://www.medicinenet.com/dehydration/article.htm

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000982.htm