Dehydration Symptoms

What is dehydration?

Dehydration can be caused because of extreme loss of water from the human body. Gastrointestinal disease can direct towards dehydration in variety of ways. Dehydration causes many problems such as illness and loss of fluid may become life-threatening.

Human body requires particular amount of intake of fluid on daily base. Minimum amount of water required for body is 1 liter or 1 quart but this amount depends on age and activities of the person. If the person takes less amount of fluid than normal then cause the dehydration.

What causes dehydration?

When intestine is damaged, the extreme fluid loss through the intestinal track may occur or when virus or bacteria cause the coating of intestine to create more fluid then can be absorbed. Abnormal connection between the parts of the intestine tract known as fistula may cause reduction of fluid. Due to nausea or appetite loss, oral liquid gets decreases.

Human body may drop much fluid from:

Excessive urine output, such as with diuretic use or diabetes which is uncontrolled
Diarrhea or vomiting
Fever
Excessive sweating

Person unable to drink fluid because of following reasons:

Loss of appetite due to illness
Nausea
Sore throat or mouth sores

Dehydration Symptoms and Signs:

Dehydration symptoms begin with the thirst and more alarming symptoms for the water becoming direr. The initial symptoms and signs of milder dehydration in the adults occur when the 2 percent of the total fluid lost from the human body. These mild symptoms are given below:

Thirst
Dry Skin
Loss of Appetite
Head Rushes
Dark Colored Urine
Skin Flushing
Dry Mouth
Chills
Fatique or Weakness

When the five percent of total fluid is lost from the body then effects may occur. In this situation normally dehydration symptoms are experienced as follows:

Increased heart rate
Decreased sweating
Increased respiration
Extreme fatigue
Decreased urination
Nausea
Increased body temperature
Muscle cramps
Headaches
Tingling of the limbs

When fluid loss in the body reaches up to ten percent of total fluid, emergency help is required. Symptoms in this situation are given below:

Shriveled skin
Muscle spasms
Painful urination
Vomiting
Racing pulse
Confusion
Dim vision
Difficulty breathing
Seizures
Chest and Abdominal pain
Unconsciousness

Dehydration in small children and in babies:

Small children and babies have more chances of causing the dehydration. Following are dehydration symptoms in children and babies:

Because of high metabolic rate in children, there body uses more water.
A greater portion of their bodies of children/babies made up of water.
A kidney of child does not preserve water as well as kidney of an adult.
Children frequently will not drink or eat when they are not feeling well.
Natural defense system of the child helpful for fighting infection is not fully developed and which causes chance of illness which causes diarrhea and vomiting.

Dehydration in adults of older age:

Adults of older age have the chances of increasing dehydration because they have:

Kidneys do not work neatly
Choose not to drink because of the inability to control their bladders
Have physical problems or a disease which makes it:
- Painful to get up from a chair.
- Hard to drink or hold a glass.
- Difficult to talk or communicate to someone about their symptoms.
- Painful or exhausting to go to the bathroom.
Not have enough money to adequately feed them.
Take medicines that increase urine output. The early symptoms are:
Reduced urine output with dark yellow urine.
A dry mouth and sticky saliva.
Acting listless or easily irritated.

Treatment for the Dehydration:

The better way of treatment of dehydration is to avoid it from the happening. If you suspect excessive fluid loss during and illness, your physician should be notified. Oral fluid replacement or intravenous may be useful, depending on harshness of loss of fluid. In the 1960's the World Health Organization developed a solution in 1960, which contains sugar and it absorbs water/salt preparation and contains the following contents. This solution saves the lives of many persons suffering from dehydration. This solution may be prepared in the home and contains the following:

3/4 teaspoon of Table Salt
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
4 teaspoon of Sugar
1 cup of Orange juice
1 quart/liter of Water

This drink can be taken in frequent, small sips and is generally stands in the face of vomiting and nausea. Several preparations are exits commercially, but due to their composition varies, physician decides the replacement solution on it which is best suited. Replacement in quantity of fluid may be useful for improving the symptoms. Care is taken at the time of taking solution because improper intake of solution causes some problems.

If possible, food intake should be taken continually, excluding the fruits which contain high fiber and vegetables.

Treatment on dehydration symptoms in children: Only a physician can diagnose dehydration, but parents can watch for some obvious signs: a dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes, a reduction in urination, and skin that stays compressed when pinched.

Following is the treatment on dehydration symptoms in the children. Following are guidelines given by American Academy of Pediatrics:

For the diarrhea with no dehydration, feed the kid normally and give commercial rehydration fluids supplementary within 4 to 6 hours after the episode of diarrhea. Still diarrhea continues, immediately call the doctor of child.
For diarrhea with the mild dehydration, take the child to a physician. Oral rehydration fluid is given to the child in office of doctor with the rehydration fluid and food continued at the home.
The child is treated in the health care facility in case of moderate dehydration or severe dehydration. Severe dehydration requires intravenous fluids while moderate dehydration requires oral treatment.

Preventing Dehydration:

For avoiding the dehydration, lots of fluids drinks particularly in dry, hot and in windy days. Drinking water is the best solution on preventing dehydration because water does not add the calories and is very good for the health.

The amount of fluid depends on the factors such as amount of water getting from the foods, other fluids and how much sweating from physical exertion. You must wear dress according to the atmosphere. In warm days you can wear loose and half dresses. This will make you cool and away from the sweating.

Drink water or any type of fluid before starting the game, if you participated in sports. After every 20 minutes or any particular interval drink the fluid. Best timing for playing sports is early in morning and late afternoon.

If you have a bug in stomach and you spend too much time in toilet then there is no any need to eat or drink anything. Caffeine is a very diuretic, because it causes a person to more urinate. It's not a particular reason for causing the dehydration but its safe way to avoid this.

For more information on dehydration symptoms follow below pages