Dehydration

What is Dehydration?

Dehydration occurs when the body lacks water and the total body water level decreases. Dehydration leads to the disruption of metabolic processes. It can occur due to varieties of reasons and can lead to several other health conditions as well. Dehydration is commonly faced by people who are into sports activity, suffer from illnesses, or live in an environment with high-temperature surroundings. In the US, around 75% percent of Americans face chronic levels of dehydration. Dehydration is quite common in America.

How much water is sufficient for the human body?

Experts recommend that 2 to 3 liters of water per day is enough for the body to maintain hydration levels. Our body contains 60% of water. To be more precise, the male body requires 3.7 liters of fluid every day whereas women require 2.7 liters of fluid to maintain fluid levels inside the body. 

What benefits do I get from keeping my body hydrated?

The benefits of a hydrated body are as follows:

• It keeps joints lubricated
• Regulated body temperature
• Prevents various types of infection
• Cells can receive nutrients properly
• Organs functions properly
• Improves sleep quality
• It helps to maintain mood levels
• Improves cognition
• Helps to manage body weight
• Improves digestion
• Provide you more energy throughout the day
• Flushes out toxins properly
• Decreased joint pain
• Prevent you from problems of kidney stones
• Keeps your heart healthy
• Helps to cope with issues of headaches and migraine

What are the signs and symptoms of Dehydration?

Common symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, dizziness, and headaches at mild levels. The symptoms of dehydration can be further divided according to age group as well. Children are said to be more likely to get dehydrated than adults. Also, depending upon age and weight the conditions of dehydration may also vary. 

Signs of Dehydration found in children

• Experiencing thirst
• Dry skin
• Dark color urine
• Tiredness
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Muscle cramps
• Blood pressure levels changes
• Heart rate changes
• Decreased urine output
• Strong smelling pee
• Dry lips and eyes
• Sunken eyes

Dehydration symptoms in adults

• Dry mouth
• Unable to shed tears when crying
• Urinate less, fewer than 4 times a day
• Cheeks and eyes look sunken
• A soft spot on the skull looks sunken
• Feel irritated
• Listlessness or feeling uninterested in doing something

What are some serious complications that occur due to a Dehydrated body?

Seek medical help if your body is dehydrated and you are not feeling well. In worst cases, dehydration can lead you to the following conditions:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Problems with urination
• Over sweating
• Fever
• Mobility problems in older adults
• Increases risk of kidney disease and diabetes
• Risk of heat illnesses increases
• Heat injury
• Seizures
• Low blood pressure volume shock

What causes Dehydration in the human body?

Dehydration occurs when you start to lose a healthy amount of fluid level in your body. Dehydration is quite dangerous for kids and old age people. Know the causes of dehydration so that you can prevent your possibility of dehydration at the proper time. Here are the causes of dehydration as follows:

• You don’t drink enough water
• You lack access to clean and safe water for drinking during your traveling
• Severe levels of diarrhea
• The tremendous loss of water due to diarrhea or vomiting
• Insufficient amount of electrolytes in the body
• Getting short of water and electrolytes suddenly
• Experiencing fever
• Excessive sweating
• You or your body is unable to replace fluids to bring your body to the proper level
• Urinating frequently 
• Hot weather

What happens if you are chronically Dehydrated?

When dehydration stays for a long time whether it’s mild or severe, it is known as chronic dehydration. It can lead to serious complications and health hazards. Look out for chronic dehydration signs like:

• Extreme tiredness
• Muscle weakness
• Constipation
• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Dry skin
• Skin appears flaky
• Problems with digestion
• Altered heart and kidney functioning
• Unusual darker urine 
• Unable to focus 
• Hard to stay concentrated

How to treat Dehydration?

Dehydration at mild and acute levels can be treated well with simple techniques that you can do naturally at home. In chronic cases or cases where a person gets admitted to the hospital, the doctor suggests a combination of medical treatments. Here are some treatment methods to treat conditions of dehydration as follows:

• Drink plenty of water, around 2 to 3 liters of water each day
• Consume food and veggies that are high in fluid levels 
• Do not consume non-water drinks
• Consume more water during your exercise routine
• Avoid high protein drink
• Do not consume alcohol until you get hydrated back
• Make sure your balanced diet contains proper amounts of salts, vitamins, and water
• Consume drinks like milk, coconut water, soup, broths, smoothies 
• Consume fluid-rich fruits like watermelon, cucumber, melons, or honeydew
• Avoid consuming coffee, tea, or soft drinks
• Consume anti-diarrhea, anti-fever, or anti-emetics medicines if you are going through these conditions that are causing dehydration
• Consume sports drinks that are rich in electrolytes like Gatorade
• Drinking non-caffeinated drinks like chamomile tea
• Drinking lime juice with some amounts of salt, sugar, and enough water 
• Keep your body’s blood and sugar levels stable 
• A doctor may suggest injecting a saline solution into the body if the patient gets admitted to the hospital for chronic dehydration

Conclusion

Dehydration occurs when the body lacks water and the total body water level decreases. Dehydration leads to the disruption of metabolic processes. Common symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, dizziness, and headaches at mild levels. Seek medical help if your body is dehydrated and you are not feeling well. When dehydration stays for a long time whether it’s mild or severe, it is known as chronic dehydration. It can lead to serious complications and health hazards.

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