Dehydration

Alternative Names

Dehydration, Hypohydration

What is Dehydration

Dehydration (hypohydration) is the excessive loss of body fluid. When you lose the greater amount of water than you take in, your organism cannot function in a proper way. Dehydration may be of 3 types: fluid, moderate or severe. If dehydration is severe it can be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms

The common symptoms of dehydration are:

• dry mouth
• the eyes stop making tears
• sweating may stop
• muscle cramps
• nausea and vomiting
• heart palpitations
• lightheadedness (especially when standing)
• weakness
• decreased urine output

Possible complications

Dehydration can cause the following complications:

• kidney failure
• coma
• shock
• heat-related illnesses and associated complications
• electrolyte abnormalities

What causes

Dehydration can be caused by the following triggers:

• fever, heat exposure, and too much exercise
• vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination due to infection
• diseases such as diabetes
• the inability to seek appropriate water and food (an infant or disabled person, for example)
• an impaired ability to drink (someone in a coma or on a respirator, or a sick infant who cannot suck on a bottle are common examples)
• no access to safe drinking water
• significant injuries to skin such as burns or mouth sores, severe skin diseases or infections (water is lost through the damaged skin)

Prevention

You can prevent dehydration by:

• drinking plenty of water before, while, and after you are active and rehydration drinks
• encouraging your child to drink extra fluids or suck on Popsicles; children ages 4 to 10 should drink at least 6 to 10 glasses of liquids to replace lost fluids
• giving up drinking coffee, colas or other drinks that contain caffeine; they increase urine output and make you dehydrate faster
• avoiding high-protein diets
• avoiding alcohol, including beer and wine
• avoiding salt tablets
• wearing one layer of lightweight, light-colored clothing when you are working or exercising outdoors

Treatment

The treatment for dehydration is fluid replacement. You should drink small amounts of clear fluids such as:

• water
• clear broth
• popsicles
• Jell-O
• other replacement fluids that may contain electrolytes (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.)

Your doctor may recommend you to use intravenous fluids and take the medications that treat the illnesses which cause dehydration. It depends on your health condition and should be determined by the doctor.