Dehydration symptoms

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Being dehydrated may affect your energy levels and mental state. It can also cause symptoms such as headache and lightheadedness. Maintaining proper hydration is essential to overall good health. Without water, your cells can’t function, which is why humans can only survive a few days without fluids ( Unfortunately, many adults and kids don’t consume enough fluids, which can lead to chronic dehydration ( What’s more, conditions like diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive sweating can lead to acute or short-term dehydration ( Dehydration can negatively affect many aspects of health and even be life threatening in severe cases, so it’s important to know the potential signs and symptoms of dehydration in both adults and kids. This article covers 8 signs and symptoms of dehydration in adults, as well as explains the most common signs of dehydration in infants and kids. Here are 8 potential signs and symptoms of dehydration to watch out for. Keep in mind that these symptoms could also indicate an underlying health condition unrelated to dehydration. If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it’s important to visit a healthcare professional for appropriate care. 1. Fatigue If you’re dehydrated, you may feel more tired than usual ( This is because dehydration affects every aspect of health, including your sleep-wake cycles. One study that included more than 26,000 Chinese and American adults found that shorter sleep duration was significantly associated with inadequate hyd...

Diana Rui/Shutterstock Your Urine Is Dark Noticing a darker color of urine (or that you don’t need to use the bathroom as much) is one of the first signs of dehydration. Ideally, your urine should be the color of light lemon juice. If it’s darker, be sure to keep a water bottle with you throughout the day lightwavemedia/Shutterstock Your Heart Is Racing Your blood is largely made up of water, so when your body is dehydrated your heart has to work harder to pump your blood. This can give you the feeling of a racing heart or having to breathe faster. These are later signs of dehydration, so it’s important to rehydrate right away. Prevent these symptoms Prostock-studio/Shutterstock You Have a Headache Getting through the day with a headache is always tough, so try drinking more water to see if you notice a difference. Dehydration can cause headaches; perhaps because of lower blood pressure. Staying hydrated can not only prevent those headaches, but it can also help ease the pain if one already started. Did you know that peppermint can help stop headaches? baranq/Shutterstock You’re Nauseous When you feel sick to your stomach, the last thing you want to do is gulp down a full glass of water, but it might be just the thing to get you feeling better fast. Dehydration can cause nausea because of dizziness and low blood pressure. Keep sipping water all day to keep tummy troubles at bay. komokvm/Shutterstock You Can’t Remember What You Ate for Breakfast Our brains are made up of ov...

The most common cause of dehydration in young children is severe diarrhea and vomiting. Older adults naturally have a lower volume of water in their bodies, and may have conditions or take medications that increase the risk of dehydration. This means that even minor illnesses, such as infections affecting the lungs or bladder, can result in dehydration in older adults. Dehydration also can occur in any age group if you don't drink enough water during hot weather — especially if you are exercising vigorously. You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs immediate medical treatment. Symptoms Thirst isn't always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. Many people, particularly older adults, don't feel thirsty until they're already dehydrated. That's why it's important to increase water intake during hot weather or when you're ill. The signs and symptoms of dehydration also may differ by age. Infant or young child • Dry mouth and tongue • No tears when crying • No wet diapers for three hours • Sunken eyes, cheeks • Sunken soft spot on top of skull • Listlessness or irritability Adult • Extreme thirst • Less frequent urination • Dark-colored urine • Fatigue • Dizziness • Confusion When to see a doctor Call your family doctor if you or a loved one: • Has had diarrhea for 24 hours or more • Is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual • Can't keep down fluids • Has bloody or ...

If you have chronic dehydration, your body tries to make do with less water. You may have symptoms like dry skin, constipation, and fatigue, among others. Chronic dehydration can be serious. Your body needs water for every function it performs. Most people are prone to acute dehydration under certain circumstances, such as extreme But chronic dehydration passes the point of simply using more fluid than you take in. Instead, it becomes an ongoing issue where you’re forcing your body to function without enough water. Chronic dehydration, when significant, requires prompt medical attention. When left untreated, chronic dehydration has been linked to other health conditions like When you’re dehydrated, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: • • muscle fatigue • dizziness • extreme thirst Chronic dehydration presents a bit differently. You may experience some of the above symptoms. Or you may not even notice that you’re low on fluid. This happens as your body becomes less sensitive to water intake and tries to make do with less water, regardless of how much you’re drinking. Other signs of chronic dehydration include: • • constipation • constant fatigue • ongoing muscle weakness • frequent headaches Signs of chronic dehydration that a doctor will look for include a concentrated blood volume, abnormal electrolyte levels, and reduced kidney function over time. The causes of chronic dehydration can vary. Risk factors for developing chronic dehydration include: • ...

Sherri Gordon, CLC is a certified professional life coach, author, and journalist covering health and wellness, social issues, parenting, and mental health. She also has a certificate of completion from Ohio State's Patient and Community Peer Review Academy where she frequently serves as a community reviewer for grant requests for health research. Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluids than it takes in. It is a common problem that can affect someone of any age, but dehydration is particularly prevalent among older adults. In fact, it's estimated between 17% and 28% of all older adults in the U.S. experience dehydration. Infants and young children are also at increased risk, as are other populations based on medical, lifestyle, and environmental factors. There are several types of dehydration which largely depend on whether water and sodium are lost from the body at the same time or at different rates. If you are dehydrated, you likely feel extremely thirsty and may also be fatigued and have Before it gets to that point, dehydration is oftentimes treatable—and preventable—with fluid intake. • Isotonic dehydration: This type of dehydration occurs when you lose water and sodium together. Typically, this results from vomiting, • Hypertonic dehydration: When your water losses exceed your sodium losses, you have hypertonic dehydration. Fever, increased breathing, and diabetes insipidus (a rare condition that causes you too produce too much urine) can lead to hyperto...

Overview 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 will get dehydrated. Anyone may become 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 a lower volume of water in their bodies, and may have conditions or take medications that increase the risk of dehydration. This means that even minor illnesses, such as infections affecting the lungs or bladder, can result in dehydration in older adults. Dehydration also can occur in any age group if you don't drink enough water during hot weather — especially if you are exercising vigorously. You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs immediate medical treatment. Symptoms Thirst isn't always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. Many people, particularly older adults, don't feel thirsty until they're already dehydrated. That's why it's important to increase water intake during hot weather or when you're ill. The signs and symptoms of dehydration also may differ by age. Infant or young child • Dry mouth and tongue • No tears when crying • No wet diapers for three hours • Sunken eyes, cheeks • Sunken soft spot on top of skull • Listlessness or ir...