Dehydration - Symptoms and Causes (2023)

General description

Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in and your body doesn't have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. If you don't replace lost fluids, you'll become dehydrated.

Anyone can get dehydrated, but the condition is especially dangerous for young children and older adults.

The most common cause of dehydration in young children is severe diarrhea and vomiting. Older adults naturally have less water in their bodies and may have conditions or take medications that increase their risk of dehydration.

This means that even minor illnesses, such as infections that affect the lungs or bladder, can cause dehydration in older adults.

Dehydration can also occur in any age group if you don't drink enough water during hot weather, especially if you exercise vigorously.

You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration requires immediate medical treatment.

Symptoms

Thirst is not always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. Many people, especially the elderly, don't feel thirsty until they are already dehydrated. That's why it's important to increase your water intake when it's hot or when you're sick.

Dehydration signs and symptoms can also differ according to age.

baby or child

• dry mouth and tongue
• no tears to cry
• No wet diapers for three hours.
• sunken eyes, cheeks
• Sunken soft spot on top of skull
• apathy or irritability

Adult

• sed extrema
• less frequent urination
• dark colored urine
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Confusion

When to see a doctor

Call your GP if you or a loved one:

• You have had diarrhea for 24 hours or more.
• Is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual
• I can't keep the fluids down
• Have bloody or black stools

Causes

Sometimes dehydration occurs for simple reasons: you don't drink enough because you're sick or busy, or you don't have access to clean water when traveling, hiking, or camping.

Other causes of dehydration include:

• Diarrhea, vomiting.Acute and severe diarrhea, that is, diarrhea that comes on suddenly and violently, can cause an enormous loss of water and electrolytes in a short period of time. If you have vomiting along with the diarrhea, you will lose even more fluids and minerals.
• Fever.In general, the higher the fever, the more dehydrated you will be. The problem gets worse if you have a fever in addition to diarrhea and vomiting.
• excessive sweatYou lose water when you sweat. If you engage in vigorous activity and don't replace fluids during exercise, you could become dehydrated. Hot, humid weather increases the amount of sweat and the amount of fluid you lose.
• Increased urination.This could be due to undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes. Certain medications, such as diuretics and some blood pressure medications, can also cause dehydration, often causing you to urinate more.

Risk factors

Anyone can become dehydrated, but some people are more at risk:

• Infants and children.The group most likely to experience severe diarrhea and vomiting, infants and children, are especially vulnerable to dehydration. Because they have a greater surface area than volume area, they also lose a greater proportion of their fluids due to high fevers or burns. Young children are often unable to tell that they are thirsty, nor can they drink on their own.
• Older adults.As you age, your body's fluid reserve decreases, your ability to conserve water decreases, and your sense of thirst becomes less acute. These problems are exacerbated by chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and dementia, and the use of certain medications. Older adults may also have mobility issues that limit their ability to get water for themselves.
• People with chronic illnesses.Having uncontrolled or untreated diabetes puts you at high risk for dehydration. Kidney disease also increases the risk, as do drugs that increase urination. Even a cold or sore throat makes you more susceptible to dehydration because you're less likely to feel like eating or drinking when you're sick.
• People who work or exercise outdoors.When it's hot and humid, your risk of dehydration and heat illness increases. This is because when the air is humid, sweat cannot evaporate and cool you down as quickly as it normally would, and this can lead to an increase in body temperature and a need for more fluids.

complications

Dehydration can lead to serious complications, including:

• heat injury.If you don't drink enough fluids when you exercise vigorously and you sweat a lot, you can end up with a heat injury, which ranges in severity from mild heat cramps to life-threatening heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
• Urinary and kidney problems.Prolonged or repeated bouts of dehydration can lead to urinary tract infections, kidney stones and even kidney failure.
• Convulsions.Electrolytes, such as potassium and sodium, help carry electrical signals from one cell to another. If your electrolytes are out of balance, normal electrical messages can be confused, which can lead to involuntary muscle contractions and sometimes unconsciousness.
• Shock due to low blood volume (hypovolemic shock).This is one of the most serious and sometimes fatal complications of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a drop in blood pressure and a drop in the amount of oxygen in your body.

Prevention

To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of fluids and eat foods rich in water, such as fruits and vegetables. Letting thirst be your guide is an adequate daily pattern for most healthy people.

People may need to drink more fluids if they have conditions such as:

• Vomiting or diarrhea.If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea, start giving more water or oral rehydration solution at the first signs of illness. Do not wait until dehydration occurs.
• tiring exercise.In general, it's best to start hydrating the day before strenuous exercise. Producing a lot of clear, dilute urine is a good indication that you're well hydrated. During activity, replenish fluids at regular intervals and continue to drink water or other liquids after you finish.
• Warm or cold climate.You need to drink extra water in hot or humid weather to help lower your body temperature and replace what you lose through sweat. You may also need additional water in cold climates to combat moisture loss from dry air, particularly at higher altitudes.
• Illness.Older adults are more often dehydrated during minor illnesses such as the flu, bronchitis or bladder infections. Make sure you drink more fluids when you don't feel well.