Skin turgor: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Skin turgor is the skin’s elasticity. It is the ability of skin to change shape and return to normal.

Skin turgor is a sign of fluid loss (dehydration). Diarrhea or vomiting can cause fluid loss. Infants and young children with these conditions can rapidly lose a lot of fluid, if they do not take enough water. Fever speeds up this process.

To check for skin turgor, the health care provider grasps the skin between two fingers so that it is tented up. Commonly on the lower arm or abdomen is checked. The skin is held for a few seconds then released.

Skin with normal turgor snaps rapidly back to its normal position. Skin with poor turgor takes time to return to its normal position.

Lack of skin turgor occurs with moderate to severe fluid loss. Mild dehydration is when fluid loss equals 5% of body weight. Moderate dehydration is 10% loss and severe dehydration is 15% or more loss of body weight.

Edema is a condition where fluid builds up in the tissues and causes swelling. This causes the skin to be extremely difficult to pinch up.

Common causes of poor skin turgor are:

• Decreased fluid intake
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea
• Diabetes
• Extreme weight loss
• Heat exhaustion (excessive sweating without enough fluid intake)
• Vomiting

Connective tissue disorders such as scleroderma and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can affect the elasticity of the skin, but this is not related to the amount of fluid in the body.

You can quickly check for dehydration at home. Pinch the skin over the back of the hand, on the abdomen, or over the front of the chest under the collarbone. This will show skin turgor.

Mild dehydration will cause the skin to be slightly slow in its return to normal. To rehydrate, drink more fluids — particularly water.

Severe turgor indicates moderate or severe fluid loss. See your provider right away.

Contact your provider if:

• Poor skin turgor occurs with vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.
• The skin is very slow to return to normal, or the skin “tents” up during a check. This can indicate severe dehydration that needs quick treatment.
• You have reduced skin turgor and are unable to increase your intake of fluids (for example, because of vomiting).

The provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history, including:

• How long have you had symptoms?
• What other symptoms came before the change in skin turgor (vomiting, diarrhea, others)?
• What have you done to try to treat the condition?
• Are there things that make the condition better or worse?
• What other symptoms do you have (such as dry lips, decreased urine output, and decreased tearing)?

Tests that may be performed:

• Blood chemistry (such as a chem-20)
• CBC
• Urinalysis

You may need intravenous fluids for severe fluid loss. You may need medicines to treat other causes of poor skin turgor and elasticity.

Doughy skin; Poor skin turgor; Good skin turgor; Decreased skin turgor

• Skin turgor

Ball JW,
Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Skin, hair, and nails. In: Ball JW,
Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Seidel’s Guide to Physical
Examination. 10th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 9.

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LA. Deficit therapy. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC,
Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia,
PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 70.

McGrath JL,
Bachmann DJ. Vital signs measurement. In: Roberts JR, Custalow CB, Thomsen TW,
eds. Roberts and Hedges’ Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine and Acute
Care. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 1.

Van Mater
HA, Rabinovich CE. Scleroderma and Raynaud phenomenon. In: Kliegman RM, St.
Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of
Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 185.

Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

How To Perform A Dehydration Test
– O.R.S Hydration

What is dehydration?

Dehydration is the result of your body losing more fluids than it is gaining. By losing these fluids, your body experiences a drop in salt, glucose and potassium levels, which you need to stay strong, concentrated and maintain your stamina, particularly during sporting events.

Our bodies are two thirds water, and it plays a vital part to our every day lives. For starters, we need it to live. But it also aids in lubricating the body in areas like our eyes, aids digestion, keeps skin healthy and flushes out toxins and bacteria. Dehydration only prevents these useful functions from happening.

It’s important to test yourself for dehydration, but this doesn’t mean you have to go into a hospital to do so, nor does it mean you have to see a doctor to recover. The test is important because it can potentially save your life, but besides mortality, it is also important for day to day activities, like sports and exercise. You need to remain hydrated whilst exercising to remain concentrated, strong and energised.

Symptoms of dehydration:

Symptoms of low salt and electrolytes levels can point to dehydration, and it can be easy to overlook dehydration as the cause of these abnormal electrolyte and mineral levels. These can include:

• Feeling thirsty

• Bad breath

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Lack of urine

• Lack of strength

• Lack of concentration

Causes of dehydration:

There are many causes for dehydration, and simply not drinking water isn’t the reason. A look at lifestyle, as well as personal health is a quick way to get to the bottom of the cause, and begin effective treatment.

• Sweating drains the body of minerals like salt and sugar, and electrolytes. We sweat to remain cool, so those who exercise, or are exposed to hot temperatures sweat often.

• People who are ill may find they sweat a lot more than they usually do, and may experience vomiting and diarrhoea.

• Those who find they have an inability to drink water, for example coma patients, will suffer from dehydration, as will those who have a lack to a water supply.

• Diuretics like caffeine and alcohol are very dehydrating, as they make you expel a lot of fluids into the toilet.

• Sugary foods are a big contributor to dehydration, as the body uses water to break down sugar.

Performing a dehydration test:

Dehydration testing can be easy, and done at home. Some examples include:

Examining your urine is an easy method of dehydration testing. As a rule of thumb, the lighter and clearer your urine is, like the lighter, leftmost circle in the poster below, the more hydrated you are. If your urine is a dark coloured, like the rightmost circle, with a strong odour emitting from it, it is an indication that you are dehydrated.

Performing a dehydration hand test is easy too. By pinching an area of skin, such as the back the hand, lift up the skin and then release. If the skin doesn’t return to normal, and instead remains lifted, and appears loose, it is a sign that you may be dehydrated. This is particularly common among the elderly.

Blood tests for dehydration can be performed, and will search for low potassium and sodium levels in a blood sample. This sodium and electrolyte test looks for if you have normal potassium or sodium levels, and can also examine how well the kidneys are performing. Consult your doctor for a blood test for dehydration.

How to treat dehydration

Drink water, right? Well yes, drinking water will help rehydrate the body, and its the obvious first step, but there are things you can do to help optimise your hydration, and recover as quickly as possible.

O.R.S Hydration Tablets contain salt, sugar and electrolytes, which all aid hydration. A lot of leading sports drinks offer high levels of glucose (sugar), in an attempt to revitalise the body with energy, although these high sugar levels are rarely accompanied by appropriate sodium (salt) levels. This sodium-glucose relationship is important, for they benefit from each other’s presence, and your body utilises the most of the minerals it can.

Sodium benefits from glucose, as the surface of the intestines houses a sodium-glucose cotransporter, a protein which absorbs salt much more proficiently in the presence of glucose, meanwhile, the salt aids the absorption of glucose. Without appropriate salt levels, the ‘extra’ glucose is not absorbed.

An O.R.S solution is also osmotically similar in composition to your blood, meaning when a prepared O.R.S solution enters your bloodstream, it stays there for longer.

Fruit and vegetables like watermelon, lettuce, celery and cucumber contain high water levels, and also contribute to restoring hydration levels.

How to suspect dehydration and how it threatens the body

February 2

Health

It is better to drink before thirst appears.

What is dehydration

Dehydration is a condition in which the body loses more fluid than it takes in.

The human body is 55-78% water. It is involved in all processes, so the loss of even 1.5% causes headaches, dizziness and fatigue. The best way to prevent dehydration is to drink before you feel thirsty. But it is very difficult to make up for the loss of fluid in some diseases. Because of this, dehydration can even lead to death.

Why dehydration occurs

Dehydration occurs when a person does not drink enough water or loses it too quickly. Possible reasons for this situation:

• sweating on a hot day or with a fever;
• severe vomiting;
• prolonged diarrhoea;
• frequent urination when taking diuretics.

Who is more likely to get dehydrated

Anyone can get dehydrated, but the most common ones are:

• infants because they cannot report thirst and their condition;
• taking diuretics;
• who have had severe diarrhea or who have frequent intestinal problems;
• older people because they already have less water in their bodies, feel less thirsty and take more diuretics because of heart disease;
• people with diabetes due to more frequent urination;
• athletes – against the background of intense training;
• drinking too much alcohol;
• those who have spent a lot of time in the sun or in a hot environment such as a sauna.

What complications can dehydration lead to

Since all organs need water, the body suffers without it: there is less blood. Therefore, the heart is forced to work harder, and the vessels of the brain narrow. The latter affects memory and coordination.

If there are not enough salts and minerals, convulsions and interruptions in the work of the heart may begin.

And if the blood becomes critically low, hypovolemic shock may develop. With it, organs can be irreversibly damaged, and a person can die.

What are the signs of dehydration

Thirst seems to be the most obvious sign, but it’s not that simple. Many people, especially the elderly, don’t feel dehydrated until they become dehydrated enough. Therefore, you need to drink before you feel like it, and increase the amount of water in hot weather, during sports and when you are sick.

You can notice dehydration by symptoms such as:

• dry mouth;
• headache;
• dizziness;
• drowsiness;
• decreased amount of urine (babies keep diapers dry longer).

What to do when you’re dehydrated

When you’re dehydrated, you need to drink water. If it does not linger and “asks back”, start with very small portions, for example, drink from a spoon. Relief usually comes quickly.

Avoid fruit juices, as they are high in sugar and fruit acids and can aggravate indigestion. Drinks with caffeine and alcohol are also not recommended, because they increase urination and, conversely, draw out water.

With severe sweating, vomiting and diarrhea, in addition to fluid, the body loses salts and minerals that need to be replenished. In such a situation, a large volume of water will not help, but will only dilute the blood, which can cause heart failure, convulsions and other problems.

Therefore, with large fluid losses, it is better to drink pharmacy solutions of electrolytes, and during intense training – sports drinks with salts.

Babies should not be given water to avoid water intoxication. So it is better to apply to the chest more often. If the child receives the mixture, then in no case should it be diluted further. If dehydration is suspected, try giving a little water from a spoon.

In severe cases, if drinking does not seem to help, or if vomiting and diarrhea do not stop, you will need medical attention.

When to call an ambulance

Severe dehydration can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, sometimes with dehydration, urgent medical attention is needed.

For an adult and a child who already speaks well

The following symptoms can be considered dangerous:

• feeling extremely tired;
• disorientation in space;
• dizziness when standing up that does not go away within a few seconds;
• dark yellow urine;
• infrequent urge to urinate;
• rapid breathing and palpitations;
• reddened and hot skin;
• fever;
• convulsions;
• hallucinations;
• altered mental state.

To a small child

Very young children cannot tell how they feel, so you need to monitor the following signs:

• child seems sleepy;
• diaper stays dry longer than usual;
• urine is darker and smells stronger;
• the child is breathing rapidly and his heart is beating very fast;
• few or no tears when crying;
• the fontanel sinks, that is, the membrane on the head, as it were, is pulled inward;
• fever present;
• convulsions;
• skin red and hot.

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What is dehydration, why is it dangerous and how to properly quench your thirst.

What is dehydration?

Dehydration is a state of the body in which it lacks water for the normal functioning of organs.

Risk groups and causes of dehydration

Of course, everyone can get dehydrated (every day we lose moisture through sweat and urine). However, there are factors that are especially dangerous due to the fact that they lead to very rapid dehydration.

At risk:

• People with disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract), because they often have symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, in which a person loses moisture from the body very quickly.

• People with urinary tract infections are also prone to rapid onset of dehydration.

• Small children (especially newborns and infants). They lose fluid faster (due to the characteristics of an unformed organism and the ratio of body proportions).

• Elderly people with poor kidney function.

Why is dehydration dangerous?

Damage to the kidneys, as well as disruption of the heart and brain. The most severe consequence is death, so people with severe dehydration in the hospital are given fluids intravenously.

It is noteworthy that with severe dehydration, on the contrary, a person does not want to drink.

What is chronic dehydration?

Chronic dehydration is a state of the body in which a constant lack of water causes malfunction of the organs. It entails indigestion, rapid aging of the skin, malfunction of the circulatory system and diseases of the genitourinary system of the body. Subsequently, due to dehydration, depression can also occur, because due to lack of water, brain function also deteriorates.

Symptoms of dehydration:

• sensation of dry mouth

• viscous saliva

• general weakness (fatigue and drowsiness)

• dark circles under the eyes

• nausea

• high temperature

• poor appetite

• headache

• dark yellow urine

In severe dehydration, already life-threatening, the symptoms are even worse – fainting and confusion.

To check for dehydration, you can do a little test: pinch your skin and see how quickly it returns to its previous position. If slowly, you have dehydration.

How to avoid dehydration and its negative consequences?

Drink exactly water, not drinks that compensate or supposedly replace it and quench your thirst. Cold lemonade, juices and carbonated drinks, contrary to advertising claims, do not quench thirst, but only increase dehydration. As a rule, they contain a lot of sugar or harmful sweeteners like aspartame. In addition, preservatives and flavor enhancers are often added to such drinks, which will cause even more thirst and stimulate the desire to drink another glass. Subsequently, addiction to these drinks may develop (especially in adolescents).

What drinks really quench your thirst?

There is no lemonade, but home-made water with lemon and mint added and chilled in the refrigerator is just right.