Dehydration - Symptoms and causes
Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body does not have enough water and other fluids to perform its normal functions. If you don't replace lost fluids, you will become dehydrated.
Anyone can become dehydrated, but the condition is especially dangerous for young children and older adults.
The most common cause of dehydration in young children is severe diarrhea and vomiting. Older adults naturally have a lower volume of water in their bodies and may have conditions or take medications that increase the risk of dehydration.
This means that even minor illnesses, such as infections that affect the lungs or bladder, can lead to dehydration in older adults.
Dehydration can also occur in any age group if you don't drink enough water during hot weather, especially if you exercise vigorously.
You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs immediate medical treatment.
Symptoms
Thirst is not always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. Many people, especially older adults, do not feel thirsty until they are dehydrated. This is why it is important to increase your water intake in hot weather or when you are sick.
The signs and symptoms of dehydration can also vary by age.
- Baby or toddler
- Dry mouth and tongue
- No tears when crying
- Do not wet diapers for three hours
- Sunken eyes, cheeks
- Sunken soft spot on top of the skull
- Apathy or irritability
Adult
- Extreme thirst
- Less frequent urination
- Dark-colored urine
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Confusion
When to see a doctor
Call your family doctor if you or a loved one:
- You have had diarrhea for 24 hours or more
- You are irritable or disoriented and much more sleepy or less active than usual.
- I can't keep fluids down
- You have black or bloody stools
- Diarrhea, vomiting Acute and severe diarrhea, that is diarrhea that comes on suddenly and violently, can cause a huge loss of water and electrolytes in a short time. If you have vomiting along with diarrhea, you lose even more fluids and minerals.
- Fever. In general, the higher the fever, the more dehydrated you can be. The problem is worse if you have a fever in addition to diarrhea and vomiting.
- Excessive sweating You lose water when you sweat. If you engage in vigorous activity and don't replace fluids as you go, you can become dehydrated. Hot and humid weather increases the amount of sweat and the amount of fluid you lose.
- Increased urination This may be due to undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes. Certain medications, such as diuretics and some blood pressure medications, can also cause dehydration, usually by causing you to urinate more.
- Babies and children. The group most prone to experiencing severe diarrhea and vomiting, infants and children, are especially vulnerable to dehydration. By having a greater surface area to volume area, they also lose a greater proportion of their fluids due to high fever or burns. Young children often cannot tell you that they are thirsty, nor can they drink something for themselves.
- Older adults. As you age, your body's fluid stores shrink, your ability to conserve water shrinks, and your thirst becomes less acute. These problems are exacerbated by chronic diseases such as diabetes and dementia, and by the use of certain medications. Older adults can also have mobility problems that limit their ability to get water on their own.
- People with chronic diseases. Having uncontrolled or untreated diabetes puts you at high risk for dehydration. Kidney disease also increases your risk, as do medications that increase urination. Even having a cold or sore throat makes you more susceptible to dehydration because you're less likely to feel like eating or drinking when you're sick.
- People who work or exercise outdoors. When it's hot and humid, your risk of dehydration and heat illness increases. This is because when the air is humid, sweat cannot evaporate and cool it down as quickly as it normally does, and this can lead to a rise in body temperature and a need for more fluids.
- Heat injury If you don't drink enough fluids when you exercise vigorously and sweat a lot, you can end up with a head injury, which ranges in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion or life-threatening heatstroke.
- Urinary and kidney problems. Prolonged or repeated episodes of dehydration can cause urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and even kidney failure.
- Seizures Electrolytes, such as potassium and sodium, help carry electrical signals from one cell to another. If your electrolytes are out of balance, normal electrical messages can be confusing, which can lead to involuntary muscle contractions and sometimes loss of consciousness.
- Low blood volume shock (hypovolemic shock). This is one of the most serious and sometimes life-threatening complications of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a drop in blood pressure and a drop in the amount of oxygen in your body.
- Vomiting or diarrhea If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea, start giving more water or an oral rehydration solution at the first signs of illness. Don't wait until dehydration occurs.
- Strenuous exercise In general, it's best to start hydrating the day before intense exercise. Producing a lot of clear, dilute urine is a good indication that you are well hydrated. During the activity, replenish fluids at regular intervals and continue to drink water or other fluids after you are done.
- Hot or cold weather. You need to drink extra water in hot or humid weather to help lower your body temperature and replace what you lose from sweating. You may also need more water in cold climates to combat moisture loss from dry air, particularly at higher altitudes.
- Disease. Older adults commonly become dehydrated during minor illnesses, such as influenza, bronchitis, or bladder infections. Make sure you drink more fluids when you are not feeling well.
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