Dehydration – Symptoms & causes

Overview

Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. If you don’t replace lost fluids, you will get dehydrated.

Anyone may 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 affecting the lungs or bladder, can result in dehydration in older adults.

Dehydration also can occur in any age group if you don’t drink enough water during hot weather — especially if you are exercising vigorously.

You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs immediate medical treatment.

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Symptoms

Thirst isn’t always a reliable early indicator of the body’s need for water. Many people, particularly older adults, don’t feel thirsty until they’re already dehydrated. That’s why it’s important to increase water intake during hot weather or when you’re ill.

The signs and symptoms of dehydration also may differ by age.

Infant or young child

• Dry mouth and tongue
• No tears when crying
• No wet diapers for three hours
• Sunken eyes, cheeks
• Sunken soft spot on top of skull
• Listlessness 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:

• Has had diarrhea for 24 hours or more
• Is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual
• Can’t keep down fluids
• Has bloody or black stool

Causes

Sometimes dehydration occurs for simple reasons: You don’t drink enough because you’re sick or busy, or because you lack access to safe drinking water when you’re traveling, hiking or camping.

Other dehydration causes include:

• Diarrhea, vomiting. Severe, acute diarrhea — that is, diarrhea that comes on suddenly and violently — can cause a tremendous loss of water and electrolytes in a short amount of time. If you have vomiting along with diarrhea, you lose even more fluids and minerals.
• Fever. In general, the higher your fever, the more dehydrated you may become. The problem worsens if you have a fever in addition to diarrhea and vomiting.
• Excessive sweating. You lose water when you sweat. If you do vigorous activity and don’t replace fluids as you go along, you can become dehydrated. Hot, humid weather increases the amount you 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, also can lead to dehydration, generally because they cause you to urinate more.

Risk factors

Anyone can become dehydrated, but certain people are at greater risk:

• Infants and children. The most likely group to experience severe diarrhea and vomiting, infants and children are especially vulnerable to dehydration. Having a higher surface area to volume area, they also lose a higher proportion of their fluids from a high fever or burns. Young children often can’t tell you that they’re thirsty, nor can they get a drink for themselves.
• Older adults. As you age, your body’s fluid reserve becomes smaller, your ability to conserve water is reduced and your thirst sense becomes less acute. These problems are compounded by chronic illnesses such as diabetes and dementia, and by the use of certain medications. Older adults also may have mobility problems that limit their ability to obtain water for themselves.
• People with chronic illnesses. Having uncontrolled or untreated diabetes puts you at high risk of 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 outside. When it’s hot and humid, your risk of dehydration and heat illness increases. That’s because when the air is humid, sweat can’t evaporate and cool you as quickly as it normally does, and this can lead to an increased body temperature and the need for more fluids.

Complications

Dehydration can lead to serious complications, including:

• Heat injury. If you don’t drink enough fluids when you’re exercising vigorously and perspiring heavily, you may end up with a heat injury, ranging in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion or potentially life-threatening heatstroke.
• Urinary and kidney problems. Prolonged or repeated bouts 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 cell to cell. If your electrolytes are out of balance, the normal electrical messages can become mixed up, which can lead to involuntary muscle contractions and sometimes to a 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.

Prevention

To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids and eat foods high in water such as fruits and vegetables. Letting thirst be your guide is an adequate daily guideline for most healthy people.

People may need to take in more fluids if they are experiencing conditions such as:

• Vomiting or diarrhea. If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea, start giving extra 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 strenuous exercise. Producing lots of clear, dilute urine is a good indication that you’re well-hydrated. During the activity, replenish fluids at regular intervals and continue drinking water or other fluids after you’re finished.
• Hot or cold weather. You need to drink additional water in hot or humid weather to help lower your body temperature and to replace what you lose through sweating. You may also need extra water in cold weather to combat moisture loss from dry air, particularly at higher altitudes
• Illness. Older adults most commonly become dehydrated during minor illnesses — such as influenza, bronchitis or bladder infections. Make sure to drink extra fluids when you’re not feeling well.

Dehydration – Symptoms & causes

Overview

Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. If you don’t replace lost fluids, you will get dehydrated.

Anyone may 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 affecting the lungs or bladder, can result in dehydration in older adults.

Dehydration also can occur in any age group if you don’t drink enough water during hot weather — especially if you are exercising vigorously.

You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs immediate medical treatment.

Products & Services

Symptoms

Thirst isn’t always a reliable early indicator of the body’s need for water. Many people, particularly older adults, don’t feel thirsty until they’re already dehydrated. That’s why it’s important to increase water intake during hot weather or when you’re ill.

The signs and symptoms of dehydration also may differ by age.

Infant or young child

• Dry mouth and tongue
• No tears when crying
• No wet diapers for three hours
• Sunken eyes, cheeks
• Sunken soft spot on top of skull
• Listlessness 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:

• Has had diarrhea for 24 hours or more
• Is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual
• Can’t keep down fluids
• Has bloody or black stool

Causes

Sometimes dehydration occurs for simple reasons: You don’t drink enough because you’re sick or busy, or because you lack access to safe drinking water when you’re traveling, hiking or camping.

Other dehydration causes include:

• Diarrhea, vomiting. Severe, acute diarrhea — that is, diarrhea that comes on suddenly and violently — can cause a tremendous loss of water and electrolytes in a short amount of time. If you have vomiting along with diarrhea, you lose even more fluids and minerals.
• Fever. In general, the higher your fever, the more dehydrated you may become. The problem worsens if you have a fever in addition to diarrhea and vomiting.
• Excessive sweating. You lose water when you sweat. If you do vigorous activity and don’t replace fluids as you go along, you can become dehydrated. Hot, humid weather increases the amount you 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, also can lead to dehydration, generally because they cause you to urinate more.

Risk factors

Anyone can become dehydrated, but certain people are at greater risk:

• Infants and children. The most likely group to experience severe diarrhea and vomiting, infants and children are especially vulnerable to dehydration. Having a higher surface area to volume area, they also lose a higher proportion of their fluids from a high fever or burns. Young children often can’t tell you that they’re thirsty, nor can they get a drink for themselves.
• Older adults. As you age, your body’s fluid reserve becomes smaller, your ability to conserve water is reduced and your thirst sense becomes less acute. These problems are compounded by chronic illnesses such as diabetes and dementia, and by the use of certain medications. Older adults also may have mobility problems that limit their ability to obtain water for themselves.
• People with chronic illnesses. Having uncontrolled or untreated diabetes puts you at high risk of 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 outside. When it’s hot and humid, your risk of dehydration and heat illness increases. That’s because when the air is humid, sweat can’t evaporate and cool you as quickly as it normally does, and this can lead to an increased body temperature and the need for more fluids.

Complications

Dehydration can lead to serious complications, including:

• Heat injury. If you don’t drink enough fluids when you’re exercising vigorously and perspiring heavily, you may end up with a heat injury, ranging in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion or potentially life-threatening heatstroke.
• Urinary and kidney problems. Prolonged or repeated bouts 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 cell to cell. If your electrolytes are out of balance, the normal electrical messages can become mixed up, which can lead to involuntary muscle contractions and sometimes to a 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.

Prevention

To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids and eat foods high in water such as fruits and vegetables. Letting thirst be your guide is an adequate daily guideline for most healthy people.

People may need to take in more fluids if they are experiencing conditions such as:

• Vomiting or diarrhea. If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea, start giving extra 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 strenuous exercise. Producing lots of clear, dilute urine is a good indication that you’re well-hydrated. During the activity, replenish fluids at regular intervals and continue drinking water or other fluids after you’re finished.
• Hot or cold weather. You need to drink additional water in hot or humid weather to help lower your body temperature and to replace what you lose through sweating. You may also need extra water in cold weather to combat moisture loss from dry air, particularly at higher altitudes
• Illness. Older adults most commonly become dehydrated during minor illnesses — such as influenza, bronchitis or bladder infections. Make sure to drink extra fluids when you’re not feeling well.

Causes and effects of dehydration in children

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When a child says that he is thirsty, this is already a sign that he is somewhat dehydrated. The feeling of thirst is not an ideal mechanism, since it occurs when the body already feels a lack of water. Since every cell in the human body is made up of water, even mild dehydration affects a child’s well-being.

Causes of dehydration.

Water has an invaluable effect on the body. She takes part in all processes occurring in the human body. First of all, it is a building component – the body of an adult is 65% water, and the body of a baby is 75%! Young children are particularly vulnerable to dehydration because infants’ water requirement per kilogram of body weight is four times that of adults. In addition, it is difficult for infants to signal their needs, and older children often forget to drink plenty of water.

Dehydration can also be caused by diarrhea, vomiting or high ambient temperatures.

Consequences of dehydration.

Water is an indispensable element for life, it acts as a universal solvent in the body, it is an ideal environment for the proper flow of nutritional and metabolic processes and the regulation of heat balance. Not surprisingly, a deficiency in such an important ingredient has negative consequences.

The brain of a newborn is 85% water, so adequate hydration is essential for a child’s well-being. Even mild dehydration can negatively affect concentration, hand-eye coordination and memory, as well as lead to more rapid fatigue and poor mood in a child. Prolonged dehydration can lead to the development of urinary tract diseases, including kidney stones. With a significant loss of water from the body, serious problems arise with physical and intellectual performance, thermoregulation and the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the role of proper hydration from the very first days of life should not be underestimated.

How to avoid dehydration in a child?

Dehydration in a child can be dangerous, so it is recommended to consult a doctor if in doubt. Special care and vigilance should be taken in keeping the child properly hydrated, not only in case of illness, but also on hot days, as well as daily.

Up to 6 months, breastfeeding satisfies all your baby’s fluid needs, even in the hottest weather, and then there is nothing to stop your baby from drinking water. At home, on a walk, in kindergarten, children should always have access to drink – cups, glasses and bottles of water should always be in the child’s field of vision so that this can indicate that he is thirsty.

Signs of dehydration in a child.

Babies are the most vulnerable group and can lose up to 15% of their weight per day! In addition, the consequences of dehydration can be much more severe than in adults, and the smaller the child, the higher the risk of dehydration. Therefore, it is important to recognize the symptoms of excessive water loss and intervene in a timely manner.

There are several main signs and symptoms of dehydration. First of all, it is necessary to assess the general condition of the child, that is, whether the child has thirst, restlessness, drowsiness, lethargy, cold or sweaty skin. It is worth paying attention to the eyes (whether they sunk) and mucous membranes, whether they become sticky or too dry. Tears are also a hint: their volume or their absence should alert. If a child has these symptoms, they should be seen by a doctor to assess the degree of dehydration. An important task for parents is to recognize the symptoms of dehydration, pay attention to the above parameters, write down as much information as possible and accurately convey it to the doctor.

There are several degrees of dehydration:

• mild dehydration, characterized by dry mouth and mucous membranes or irritability,
• moderate dehydration, with the above symptoms. Additionally, there is weakness and increased heart rate. In the long term, in addition to metabolic disturbances, it can cause kidney stones, constipation, and disorders of the cardiovascular system or central nervous system.
• severe dehydration is an extreme condition requiring hospitalization. Causes a decrease in pressure, sometimes shock, neurological symptoms, the condition deteriorates rapidly. This can lead to metabolic disorders in the system and even death.

Dehydration caused by a medical condition can have serious health consequences. Particular caution should be exercised in children suffering from diarrhea, vomiting or fever. Then the need for water increases significantly, so it is very important during this period to systematically give children small portions of water or other liquids in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations. Electrolyte disturbances can occur quickly, and the child may need a special supplement to replenish their levels, or even hospitalization.

Water is the best way to quench your thirst, and the key to good eating habits! Teaching a child to drink clean drinking water already in the first year of life is of great importance in the prevention of obesity and is an investment in the future.

Read also:

• What foods help with dehydration
• How much water do children need?
• Dehydration symptoms and prevention measures

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Dehydration is the cause of stress

Dehydration is the cause of stress

Today, along with modern scientific achievements, technological progress, difficulties in the economy and many other things, people are becoming more vulnerable. .. Increasingly, they experience nervous tension, which in turn causes more serious mental illnesses such as neurosis, insomnia, memory impairment , depression, irritability, anger. But at the same time as psychological disorders, people who are constantly under stress risk their health. It is known that stress in many cases is the cause of such diseases as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, hypertension, diabetes, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, stress kills cells of the brain and spinal cord, decreases bone mass, which leads to osteoporosis. The list of diseases from stress can be listed for a long time. The question is how to deal with it, because not every person can cope with their emotions.

Pharmacy counters are now bursting with masses of domestic and foreign sedatives. Most of them are based on herbal extracts. But scientists have come to the conclusion that stress can be overcome in other ways, without using potions and pills. Plain water can significantly reduce stress.

Water is essential for the proper functioning of all internal organs, including the brain, which is almost 90% water. Therefore, the brain is especially sensitive to dehydration.

Scientific research confirms that even slight dehydration can cause irritability and bad mood. And with the loss of only 1-2% of moisture, a person develops fatigue and impotence, thirst arises.

When the brain lacks water, a person may feel:

1. Feeling anxious without any good reason: anxiety syndrome.
2. The appearance of a feeling of irritation for no apparent reason, uncontrolled anger.
3. Feeling of depression and the appearance of inadequate reactions.
4. Depressed state in its extreme form: depression, severe melancholy.
5. Chronic dehydration leads to a condition called chronic fatigue that is not related to work performance.
6. Appearance of cravings for smoking, alcohol, coffee.
7. Dehydration is especially dangerous in childhood and old age.

Stress and dehydration: a vicious circle

Dehydration disrupts the functioning of the whole organism, which already becomes a cause of stress. Physiological processes begin to occur in the body, the same as in the case of stress, that is, the body’s reserves are mobilized. The stress mechanism activated due to dehydration “wasted” the last reserves of water. If there is not enough fluid, a metabolic disorder occurs, the load on the body increases, and this entails all sorts of dangerous disorders. Scientific studies show that the lack of only 0.5 liters of water in the body already leads to an increase in the content of stress hormones in the blood of a dehydrated person. Thus, dehydration causes stress, and stress leads to further dehydration.

Prevention of dehydration and drinking enough clean water is a prerequisite for dealing with stress.

At the same time, when our body has enough water, it is less prone to stress. Thus, the prevention of dehydration is also the prevention of stress.

The easiest way to cure dehydration is to increase your water intake. In this case, one should take into account the fact that tea, coffee, and even more so alcohol, will not help here, since they themselves lead to dehydration. It is better to drink pure water. Thus, water will help get rid of the symptoms of stress and calm the nervous system.

How to train yourself to drink enough water

Here are some tips:

– Always carry a bottle of clean water with you and refill it periodically. Don’t forget to constantly drink a little from it.
– Keep a glass of water on your desktop.
– Put a glass of water near the bed: wake up in the morning, make up for the lack of water that appeared during the night. During sleep hours, a person loses water through breathing and sweat.
– Remember that most drinks are dehydrating. Replace a glass of lemonade or a cup of coffee during the day with a glass of pure water.

Now the only question is quantity. But scientists and here can give the answer. When under stress, drink approximately six to eight glasses of water, in addition to the fluids you drink daily.

It is best to drink little water throughout the day. Since six glasses drunk in one gulp are unlikely to be beneficial!

If you already know that you will experience stress in certain situations, stock up on a bottle of water and do not forget to drink from it periodically. Try it and see for yourself that with every sip of water, the tension goes away!

To maintain and promote health, it is recommended to drink 1-2 glasses of pure water 0.5 hours before a meal or 2 hours after a meal. Or apply the “drip method”, when a person drinks 1.5 – 2 liters of pure water during the day, gradually 1-2 sips.

Remember! A glass of pure water will have a more effective effect on your dehydrated body than any medicine!

Just like a car needs gasoline for the upcoming trip, the human body needs enough free water in the circulatory system to get through the day until evening, last through the night, and then meet the next day.

For some reason, people used to know about the beneficial effect of water on a person’s state of mind. Remember how in old films, when the hero unexpectedly received some kind of bad news and from a surge of negative feelings he lost his peace of mind, those around him shouted: “Urgently, bring him water!” Today it is almost forgotten.

Our life is already full of problems, we shouldn’t add stress from dehydration to them.

Stress-free exams: what is useful to know for students in grades 9 – 11, graduates entering universities and their parents.

Drink water to relieve stress and improve performance. Water improves brain function, increases efficiency. All electrochemical processes occurring in the body, and, consequently, in the brain and central nervous system, depend on the permeability of nerve impulses. Water is the best conductor of electrical signal in our body. Dehydration causes a decrease in the energy potential of our body and triggers the stress response.