Fortunately, our bodies have such a system, and our thirst mechanism tells us when we need to increase the fluid intake. Although the water is lost all the time during the day when we breathe, sweat, urinate and defecate, we can replenish the water in the body by drinking liquids. The body can also switch water to areas where it is necessary if dehydration begins to occur.
Most instances of dehydration can be easily reversed by increasing fluid intake, but severe cases of dehydration require immediate medical treatment.
A study explains that even small levels of dehydration can create headache, drowsiness or just overall lack of alertness. Dehydration can also cause constipation.
Causes of dehydration
The Institute of Medicine recommends daily 13-liter (3-liter) fluid for adult men (as total beverages, including drinking water) and 9 cups (2.2 liters) for adult women.
The immediate causes of dehydration do not include enough water, too much water loss or any combination of the two.
Sometimes it is not possible to consume enough fluids because we are too busy, lacking facilities or strength to drink or are in an area without water (eg hiking or camping). Additional causes of dehydration include:
Diarrhea - The most common cause of dehydration and related deaths. The intestines absorb water from foodstuffs, and diarrhea prevents this function, which leads to dehydration.
vomiting - leads to loss of fluids and makes it difficult to replace water by drinking it.
Sweat - The body's cooling mechanism releases a significant amount of water. Hot and humid weather and strong physical activity can further increase fluid loss from sweating.
Diabetes - High blood sugar levels cause increased urination and fluid loss. Tips for managing summer heat for people with diabetes.
Regular urination - usually caused by uncontrolled diabetes, but may also be due to alcohol and drugs such as diuretics, antihistamines, blood pressure medicine and anti-psychotics.
Burns - Water leaks out of damaged skin and the body loses fluids.
Who is at risk of dehydration?
Although dehydration can happen to someone, some people have greater risk. The highest risks are:
People in higher heights
Athletes, especially those in endurance events like marathon, triathlon and cycling tournaments. Dehydration can undermine sport performance, as this article explains.
People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, alcoholism and adrenal gland disorders
Older adults, infants and children. Dehydration in the elderly can be explained by brain failure, a study revealed. An article explains how to drink more water-enhanced elderly health.
Symptoms of dehydration
The first symptoms of dehydration include thirst, darker urine and decreased urine output. In fact, urine color is one of the best indicators of a person's level of hydration - clear urine means you are well hydrated and darker urine means you are dehydrated.
Since the condition develops to moderate dehydration, the symptoms include:
Dry mouth
Lethargy
Few or no tears when they cry
Weakness in the muscles
Headache
Dizziness.
Serious dehydration May be characterized by extreme versions of the above mentioned symptoms as well as:
Lack of sweating
Sunken eyes
Scrub and dry skin
Sunken fontanels (soft spots) in infants
Low blood pressure
Increased heartbeat
Fever
Delirium
Unconsciousness.
Vomiting and diarrhea in children
Vomiting and diarrhea is one of the most common diseases in children, most of them getting it several times a year. This disease progression has varying degrees of severity and.
Infant:
Children under 4 months are still protected with immune agents from the mother, and rarely receive gastrointestinal infections.
Infants have a lot less fluid levels than adults, and the risk of dehydration when vomiting and / or diarrhea is high. Do not hesitate to seek medical attention if you have an infant who gets a symptom of gastric infection.
Excess taxation should not be confused with vomiting. It is normal for babies to give up a lot of milk / food after each meal. If you are worried that you think the amount of the child is getting up, or if your baby regularly gets sick after meals, talk to your nurse or doctor about it.
Loose stomach is another common problem during the first year of life. The child can boast several times a day, without having to be abnormal, and the stool can be loose and clever. If the child otherwise feels good and weight increases, there is seldom a cause for concern. The most common reason is that the child eats more than necessary and eliminates the surplus stock by accelerating the intestine.
Children 0-4 years:
Small children have less fluid reserves than adults, and the less the child is, the less are the reserves. In children under 4 years, a regular gastric infection may be enough to lose the reserves for fluid and minerals. Dehydration can be dangerous to young children.
The disease can be dangerous to the smallest because they can become severely dehydrated.
Symptom:
Disease usually begins acute with nausea and vomiting, stomach pains and fever. Nausea and vomiting usually occur within 1-2 days. Diarrhea often occurs after ½-1 day and lasts 5-6 days. Sometimes a bit longer.
Cause:
The vast majority of episodes of vomiting and diarrhea are caused by viral infections. The most common virus in infancy is the rotavirus. Other common gastric juvenile viruses are adeno and norovirus. These are highly contagious and give symptoms 1-2 days after they have been exposed to infection from other patients.
prevent dehydration!
It's about getting the baby to drink. Vomiting and diarrhea cause the fluid layer to lose. When a child is swallowed, you can quickly drink afterwards. We adults are happy to wait a couple of hours to "calm the stomach", but children should not wait so long because of a small amount of fluid storage. Often it is also that the child feels a bit better immediately after it's been vomited, so it's smart to use these minutes to give the baby a drink.
"Good hand hygiene is the most important contraceptive measure," says doctor Mariam Löfwander.
What drink is best for a child?
- Give the child what they want to drink but watch out for soda drinks and rather limit fruit juice as too sugary can damage the teeth if they wont drink it if watered down a little. Rooibos is perfect as it is caffeine free. Also ice cubes of fruit juice with rooibos and lemon juice makes a perfect refreshing treat for hot summer days and helps to keep children well hydrated.
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