What are the symptoms of dehydration? What causes dehydration? Discover the key facts about this common health issue and how to address it.

Symptoms of Dehydration: Recognizing the Signs

Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluids than it takes in, leading to an imbalance that can impair normal bodily functions. While thirst is a common indicator, it’s not always a reliable early sign of dehydration, especially in older adults. Here’s a breakdown of the symptoms to watch for:

Symptoms in Infants and Young Children

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

Symptoms in Adults

• Extreme thirst
• Infrequent urination
• Dark-colored urine
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Confusion

Causes of Dehydration: Understanding the Factors

Dehydration can result from a variety of factors, including:

Fluid Loss

Severe diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive sweating can lead to significant fluid loss and electrolyte imbalances, contributing to dehydration. Fever can also exacerbate the problem by increasing fluid needs.

Inadequate Fluid Intake

Not drinking enough water, especially during hot weather or when engaged in strenuous physical activity, can cause dehydration. Lack of access to safe drinking water while traveling or camping can also be a factor.

Medical Conditions and Medications

Certain medical conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes and kidney disease, can increase the risk of dehydration. Some medications, such as diuretics and blood pressure medications, can also contribute to dehydration by causing increased urination.

Risk Factors: Identifying the Vulnerable Populations

While anyone can become dehydrated, some individuals are at a higher risk:

Infants and Children

Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to dehydration due to their higher surface area-to-volume ratio, which can lead to greater fluid loss, and their inability to communicate thirst or obtain water independently.

Older Adults

As people age, their body’s fluid reserve decreases, their ability to conserve water is reduced, and their thirst sense becomes less acute. Chronic illnesses and mobility issues can further increase the risk of dehydration in older adults.

Those with Chronic Illnesses

Individuals with conditions like uncontrolled diabetes, kidney disease, and even common illnesses like colds or sore throats are at a higher risk of dehydration, as they may be less inclined to eat or drink when feeling unwell.

People Who Work or Exercise Outdoors

When working or exercising in hot and humid conditions, the risk of dehydration and heat-related illnesses increases, as sweat cannot evaporate as efficiently, leading to a greater need for fluid replenishment.

Complications of Dehydration: The Risks

Dehydration can lead to a range of serious complications if left untreated, including:

Heat Injuries

Vigorous exercise or activity in hot, humid conditions without adequate fluid intake can result in heat-related illnesses, ranging from mild heat cramps to potentially life-threatening heatstroke.

Urinary and Kidney Problems

Prolonged or severe dehydration can adversely affect the kidneys and urinary system, leading to issues such as urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

When to Seek Medical Attention

It’s important to seek medical care if you or a loved one:

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

Prompt treatment is crucial, as severe dehydration requires immediate medical intervention to prevent further complications.

Preventing and Treating Dehydration

The best way to address dehydration is to focus on proper hydration. This includes:

• Drinking enough water, especially during hot weather or physical activity
• Replenishing electrolytes lost through sweating or illness
• Seeking medical attention for severe or persistent dehydration

By understanding the symptoms, causes, and risk factors of dehydration, you can take proactive steps to maintain optimal hydration and avoid the potential complications associated with this common health issue.

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.

Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Causes
• Symptoms
• Who’s at Risk?

Dehydration happens when your body doesn’t have as much water as it needs. Without enough, your body can’t function properly. You can have mild, moderate, or severe dehydration depending on how much fluid is missing from your body.

It’s normal to lose water from your body every day by sweating, breathing, peeing, and pooping, and through tears and saliva (spit). Usually you replace the lost liquid by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. If you lose too much water or don’t drink and eat enough, you can get dehydrated.

You can lose more water than usual with:

• A fever
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Excessive sweating
• Peeing a lot (diabetes and some medications like water pills — also called diuretics — can make you pee more often.)

You may not replace the water you lose because:

• You’re busy and forget to drink enough.
• You don’t realize you’re thirsty.
• You don’t feel like drinking because you have a sore throat or mouth sores, or you’re sick to your stomach.

Signs of dehydration in adults

Signs of mild or moderate dehydration include:

• Thirst
• Dry or sticky mouth
• Not peeing very much
• Dark yellow pee
• Dry, cool skin
• Headache
• Muscle cramps

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

Symptoms for babies and young children can be different than for adults:

• Dry mouth and tongue
• No tears when crying
• Dry diapers for 3 hours
• Sunken eyes, cheeks, soft spot on the top of the skull
• Sleepiness, lack of energy, or irritability

Severe dehydration is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately.

Anyone can get dehydrated, but the odds are higher for some people:

• Babies and young children are the most likely to have severe diarrhea and vomiting, and they lose the most water from a high fever. The youngest can’t tell you they’re thirsty or get their own drink.
• Older adults often don’t realize they’re thirsty. If they can’t get around very well anymore, they may not be able to get a drink easily or may not be able to take in enough fluids due to medical conditions.
• People who are ill with a cold or sore throat may not want to eat or drink.
• People with a chronic disease such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes can pee a lot if the disease is uncontrolled. They also may take medicines such as water pills, which make them go more often.
• People who are active outside in hot and humid weather sometimes can’t cool down effectively because their sweat doesn’t evaporate. This can lead to a higher body temperature and need for more water.

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Dehydration and its symptoms

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Dehydration percentage:

• 1% – intense thirst, headache, general malaise;
• 5% – dizziness, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath;
• 10% – convulsions, cell death;
• 20% – death.

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Signs of dehydration of the human body | Aquaskazka

Dehydration or dehydration is a condition characterized by water content below the required norm, which leads to metabolic disorders, disruption of life support systems and risks of serious irreversible changes. Dehydration is a stressful condition for the body, in which normal life is impossible. Permanent or prolonged lack of water in the body does not go unnoticed and leads to serious health problems and chronic diseases.

Water is constantly leaving our body in the urine, through the skin and even through the lungs with the exhaled air. Many of the popular drinks such as tea and coffee are actually not fully used to replenish body fluid losses, but on the contrary, they can accelerate the process of dehydration. Long contact with dry air or in an environment with elevated temperature leads to a multiple acceleration of fluid loss. Below we have compiled the main symptoms of dehydration that will help you understand that your body is at its limit and is asking for help.

Dry mouth is one of the first signs of dehydration and is the easiest to track. This also applies to all mucous membranes, including the nose and eyes. A small amount of saliva, excessively thick stretching saliva, insufficiently moisturized eye cornea, a feeling of dryness and sand in the eyes, an unpleasant astringent feeling in the nasopharynx, dryness in the nose up to bleeding of the mucous membrane, all these are sure signs of a lack of water in the body.

Bruises under the eyes. Yes, it turns out that the so-called blue circles can appear not only from lack of sleep and malnutrition. Many also associate the appearance of bruises under the eyes with the use of alcoholic beverages the day before, but just alcohol can cause severe dehydration of the body and bruises under the eyes of his faithful companion.

Decreased skin elasticity is a good indicator of the lack of free fluid in the body and the initial stages of dehydration. Do a simple test: take the skin of your hand and make a thin fold with your fingers, as if you want to pinch yourself harder, the fold should not be too thick, test where the skin is thin and does not have a thick fat layer under it, for example, on the back of the palm . Hold the crease for half a minute and release, if the skin immediately returned to its normal state without traces, then everything is in order, if it smoothes out slowly, then the skin has lost its elasticity due to dehydration.

Urination disorders. This includes not only long intervals between urination and small volume, but also the shade and transparency of urine. If it is saturated dark in color and cloudy in consistency, then this may indicate an insufficient amount of water in the body, if it is always like this, regardless of the amount of water consumed, then this may indicate diseases of the urinary system. Most often, as soon as the water balance is restored and dehydration passes, the urine returns to its normal color and consistency.

Constipation, for which dehydration is one of the main causes of occurrence, can serve as a fairly accurate signal of a lack of water in the body. Moreover, they can appear even with a slight shortage of water, when all other signs of dehydration have not yet manifested themselves. One or two glasses of water half an hour before going to the toilet can help soften stools and speed up the process of their elimination. You should not immediately start drinking drugs that help with defecation disorders, you should first check if you have initial signs of dehydration.

Increased fatigue, fatigue, drowsiness and a slight feeling of illness are also manifestations of dehydration in more advanced stages. Such symptoms may seem uncharacteristic of water deficiency, but this is a defensive reaction of the body, in which it tries to save strength and remaining resources.

In more severe stages of dehydration, symptoms such as rapid heart rate and breathing, mood swings, feelings of anxiety, and even clouding of consciousness may be added. It would seem difficult to bring yourself to such a state without being in a critical situation and having access to drinking water, but with the modern rhythm of life and great physical and psycho-emotional stress, you can imperceptibly remove the initial symptoms of dehydration into the background, as well as other manifestations of the body’s needs. The bad habit of arranging rare and quick meals is familiar to everyone, the problem with the regularity of fluid replenishment in the body is even more acute.