Dehydration: Causes, Symptoms & Prevention

Water makes up over 70 percent of the healthy human body. Ample amounts of water, or good hydration, is essential for aiding digestion, flushing out toxins and waste, and keeping your skin healthy. While the human body on an average loses water all throughout the day, majorly through sweating and urination, it usually is replenished by eating and drinking.

Dehydration is a very grave health problem that can affect people of all ages. People should know the signs of dehydration as it can help prevent major catastrophe.

What is Dehydration?

Dehydration is a situation that occurs when someone loses more fluids than he/she takes in, upsetting the delicate balance of minerals in your body fluid. It is an anomalous condition in which the body's cells are deprived of an adequate amount of water. It is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body's fluid is lost or not replenished.

• Mild dehydration happens when the body has lost about one to two percent of its total fluid.
• Moderate dehydration happens when the body has lost about 5 percent of its total fluid.
• Severe dehydration happens when the body has lost about 10 percent of its total fluid.
  

What causes Dehydration?

Dehydration is generally caused by not drinking enough fluid, losing too much fluid, or a combination of the two.

• Vomiting and diarrhea are two common causes for a person to lose excess amounts of water.
• Sweating is another common cause to lose significant amounts of water when the body tries to cool itself. The reason for excessive sweating can be many. Some of them include exercising in hot conditions, working in hot weather and fever due to an infection.
• High blood sugar in people with diabetes may cause frequent urination.
• Drinking too much alcohol can also cause dehydration.

What are the Signs/Symptoms of Dehydration?

The symptoms of dehydration differ depending on the severity. The initial responses of the body to dehydration are thirst (to increase water intake) and decreased urine output (to try to conserve fluid) along with dark colored urine. But by the time these signs appear, you are already dehydrated. More signs and symptoms become apparent as the level of water loss increases, such as:

• Headache,
• Dry skin and lip,
• Dry mouth and dry tongue with thick saliva,
• Cramping in the arms and legs,
• Sunken dry eyes with few or no tears when crying,
• Decreased sweating,
• Increased body temperature,
• Rapid heart rate,
• Fatigue or Weakness,
• Nausea and vomiting.

If the dehydration remains untreated, severe dehydration may set in, which may result in coma and organ failure, and death eventually.

How can dehydration be prevented?

Consuming plenty of fluids and foods high in water is the easiest way to prevent dehydration. You can obtain fluids not just from water but also from other beverages (such as juices) and foods (such as fruits and vegetables). Here are some more tips to prevent dehydration:

• Drink additional water in hot or humid weather to replace what you lose through sweating.
• Drink some fluids (water or electrolyte based drinks) before beginning strenuous activity or exercise. Also, drink at regular intervals during the course of the activity and continue drinking after the activity ends.
• Early morning or later afternoon is the best time to exercise or play sports. Avoid the hottest part of the day for such activities.