Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in. It happens when your body doesn’t have as much water as it needs to carry out its normal functions.
This condition is a very dangerous one, especially in young children and older adults, people with chronic illnesses and sometimes adults generally.
The most common cause of dehydration is simply: You don’t drink enough. This could be because you’re sick, busy, or because you lack access to safe drinking water.
Other causes of dehydration include
-Severe diarrhea
-Vomiting
-Fever
-Excessive perspiration
Whenever you are experiencing this thing, if you don’t replace lost fluids, you will get dehydrated.
Some of the symptoms of dehydration include:
-Dry mouth and tongue
-Sunken eyes and cheeks
-Fatigue
-Dizziness
-Headache
-Extreme thirst
Signs of severe dehydration include:
Not peeing or having very dark yellow pee
Very dry skin
Feeling dizzy
Rapid heartbeat
Rapid breathing
Sunken eyes
Sleepiness, lack of energy, confusion or irritability
Fainting
Effect of dehydration
If you find yourself experiencing any of the above call for help or call your family doctor. Until help comes, you should stay rehydrated by making an oral solution or rehydration solution using:
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 teaspoons sugar
1 liter water
Be absolutely certain that you’re using an accurate measurement. Using too much salt or sugar can pose more danger than a solution.
Other ways you can reduce dehydration
-Drink fluids when you feel any of the aforementioned dehydration symptoms.
-If you’re finding it hard to drink, because you feel sick or have been sick, start with small sips and then gradually drink more.
-Drink water or rehydration solution whenever you’re vomiting, sweating or having diarrhea.
-If you are exercising in the heat and losing a lot of minerals in sweat, sports drinks can be helpful
-Avoid drinks that are high in sugar and caffeine
-Drink lots of water when the weather is hot or when you are sick.
It is important to remember that dehydration does not occur quickly. It occurs over time and sometimes it may take several hours to slowly correct the fluid deficit and allow the electrolytes to redistribute themselves in the body. One must be careful not to rehydrate a dehydrated person too slowly or to fast, so as to avoid shock or swelling of the cells.