Did you know, that during a typical day in a temperate climate, such as in Washington DC or midwestern United States, the average person loses about 2.5 liters of water?! Humans lose water through:
– Skin (sweat)
– Kidneys (urine)
– Lungs (water vapor/breath)
– Bowels (typical bowel movements, not diarrhea)
However, if you do not drink enough fluids, sweat excessively especially during exercise and in high temperatures, or have severe diarrhea, you can very easily become dehydrated. In fact, many estimate that somewhere between 55 and 75% of Americans are dehydrated. As we shared in a previous post, water is the most important thing that humans should ingest, as more than half of our entire body is made up of water. While the average person may survive without food for up to approximately two months, it takes less than a week for a person to perish without good ol’ H-2-O.
Mild to Moderate Dehydration
While dehydration is fairly common, most people find themselves in the mild-moderate range. Mild to moderate dehydration isn’t very dangerous and can be typically be corrected by drinking more fluids.
Here are some signs and symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration:
- Having a dry mouth
- Feeling fatigued or sleepy all the time
- Experiencing increased thirstiness
- Having a decreased urine output with urine that is more yellow that it usually is
- Having dry or flaky skin
- Feeling dizzy
- Having a headache from low blood volume in the brain
- Crying without have many tears
If your symptoms are mild and you can still drink, try to step up the amount of fluids you are taking in. Water is the best choice for treating dehydration. Fruits, vegetables, soups, and even other beverages can help. Other good choices include Gatorade or PowerAde, which provide liquids as well as electrolytes. If the cause is diarrhea or vomiting, Pedialyte or prescription anti-nausea medication can help to restore healthy hydration.
Severe Dehdration
If you are not aware that dehydration is an issue, or if you are unable to rehydrate your body, you may need to visit the local hospital to correct the condition. Here are the signs and symptoms of severe hydration:
- Drastic reduction in the amount of urine (or even absence)
- Any urine that is produced is a deep yellow color or amber/brown color
- Lightheadedness or severe dizziness that is worse when you stand up or get up from a reclining position
- A severe drop in blood pressure that occurs when you try to get up after sitting or lying down (this is called Orthostatic hypotension)
- Rapid heart rate (as your heart tries to compensate for low blood volume)
- Low-grade (or higher) Fever
- Seizures (usually grand mal)
- Poor skin elasticity of the skin.
- Feeling lethargic or confused
- Kidney damage or failure
- Going into a coma
- Suffering from extreme shock, which can be life threatening.
If you are suffering from some of the severe dehydration symptoms listed above, consider checking into a hospital and receiving IV fluids to restore your health. Many ER visitors check themselves in for unrelated causes and find out that they are dehydrated as well. Dehydration has a way of sneaking up on you, especially if you are otherwise occupied with other things, such as an activity or you’re sick with vomiting and diarrhea.
As soon as you start to feel the symptoms of mild-moderate dehydration, you should immediately begin hydrating yourself. It can take as little as a liter of fluid, or up to five or more liters of IV fluid especially for severe levels.
STAY HYDRATED!
To avoid these horrible consequences drink water regularly. Make water a no-brainer for yourself – keep a bottle of water in your car, on your desk or workstation, in your handbag. Here is another post with more ways to make drinking water easy for you. Be at your best – Drink more water!
Additional References:
Brody, Jane. “Dehydration: Risks and Myths.” The New York Times Online. May 9, 2016. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/05/09/dehydration-risks-and-myths/
Rehydration Project. “Why is Dehydration so Dangerous?” http://rehydrate.org/dehydration/
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