What is Dehydration?
Dehydration means a state when the body loses water and sodium levels. The human body is made up of 75% percent water and cannot survive without it. Water is found inside the cells and blood vessels of the body. When the body gets dehydrated, then the water levels of the body fall lower than required. Dehydration affects the human body by reducing energy levels and making it hard to move.
Severe dehydration can easily lead a person to the hospital. It can cause weakness in muscles, headaches as well as dizziness to a point of losing consciousness. The best way to avoid this is by rehydrating yourself whenever you have the chance.
What are the types of dehydration?
- Isotonic dehydration: This is the state in which both water and electrolytes are lost in equal proportion to each other. Isotonic dehydration is usually caused by diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, burns, intrinsic kidney disease, hyperglycemia, hypoaldosteronism and inadequate intake of fluid.
- Hypertonic dehydration: When the water in the body is lost more than the levels of electrolytes, the concentration of electrolytes in the body rises higher than that of water. It is commonly seen in infants with pediatric dehydration caused by diarrhea. Other conditions in which it prevails include fever, increased respiration, and diabetes insipidus.
- Hypotonic dehydration: When more electrolytes are lost instead of fluids, the condition is called hypotonic dehydration and is mostly caused by diuretics, the substance which leads to increased production of urine.
What are the symptoms of dehydration?
The symptoms of dehydration are as follows:
During the first stage, the patient may feel:
- Thirst
- Headaches
- Fatigue
During the second or mild stage, the patient may feel:
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Low levels of urine
- Constipation
During the third and most severe stage of dehydration, the patient may feel:
- Dry skin
- Sunken eyes
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth with dry mucus
- Fever
- Shock
- Hypotension
- Lethargy
If not treated during the last stage, the patient can easily slip into a coma followed by death.
What are the causes of dehydration?
There are multiple causes of dehydration. Some of them are listed as follows:
- Health issues: When you experience a fever, you will also have water loss which if not checked can easily lead to dehydration.
- Environmental causes: Heat exposure can easily lead to dehydration if not regulated.
- Over-exercising: Exercising is a good thing but over-exercising can lead to heavy loss of water. If not replenished then this could lead to dehydration.
- Vomiting, diabetes, and diarrhoea can also lead to severe loss in water levels.
- When patients are in a coma, they could easily lose water levels, which is why their hydration levels need to be under a constant check.
What are the treatments of dehydration?
The best treatment for dehydration is to keep replenishing the fluids in your body that you lost. This can easily be done by ingesting clean fluids as well as fluids that have the much-needed vitamins and minerals that your body has lost. This will help rehydrate your body faster and give you an energy boost. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is a cornerstone for prevention and treatment of dehydration.
Also Read – Dehydration in Summer – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Home Remedies
What are the home remedies for dehydration?
Some home remedies for dehydration are as follows:
- Eating fruits and fruit juices that have a high level of water content such as watermelon, muskmelon, bananas, and cucumber.
- Coconut water is an elixir for dehydration since it replenishes not only fluids but also electrolytes in the body.
- You can also consume supplements like ORS that help improve your electrolytes.
- Water in liquid form or as ice cubes can also help hydrate your body.
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
