Dehydration is a condition that occurs when excessive fluid is lost from the body, especially water, which leads to the disruption of metabolic process. More amount of water moves out of the body’s cell that is taken in through drinking. Normally, water is lost during sweating, urine, and stool. Therefore, regular intake of water is necessary to keep things on the track. Severe dehydration can even lead to death.
Causes of Dehydration:
Other than lesser intake of water, many conditions can cause rapid loss of body fluids, which leads to dehydration, some of them are listed below:
- In certain diseases, improper metabolism leads to excessive loss of water e.g. diabetes.
- Infectious diseases like cholera, Yellow fever, Shigellosis, etc.
- Intense exercise or heat exposure.
- Fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, shock, or sore throat.
- Blood loss due to physical trauma.
- Malnutrition
Symptoms of Dehydration:
Following symptoms can be observed during mild to moderate dehydration:
- Thirst, dry or sticky mouth.
- Dizziness.
- Fatigue.
- Constipation.
- Dry skin.
- Headache.
- Dark yellow urine.
In the case of severe dehydration, following signs can be observed:
- Extreme dryness in mouth and skin.
- Extreme thirst.
- Reduced perspiration.
- Unconsciousness
- Irritation during crying.
- Sunken eyes.
- Chest and abdominal pain.
- Low blood pressure.
- Accelerated heart rate and breathing.
- Severe irritation during urination.
Dehydration Related Diseases:
Muscle Cramps: A muscle cramp is involuntary contracted muscle that do no relax on its own. This condition can occur due to various reasons, dehydration being one of them. Muscle cramps can be stop by stretching the muscles. To stop reoccurrence, nutrition and dehydration level should be check.
Hypotension: Hypotension is a condition of low blood pressure in which flow of the blood to the organs is not adequate.
Chronic fatigue syndrome: Excessive dehydration of the body can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome.
Kidney failure: Dehydration is one of the important factors that can cause kidney failure. Kidney is the vital organ of the body which is involved in filtration, maintenance of electrolyte balance, and red blood cell production.
Treatment of Dehydration:
Treatment of dehydration varied according to the reason and severity of the condition. Increasing fluid intake is enough if you are suffering from mild dehydration. It is recommended to take small amount of fluids with regular small intervals. Forcing large amount of water at once may lead to vomiting.
To restore electrolyte balance, freezer pops can be used. In case of severe dehydration, one may need to intake fluids intravenously. Therefore, hospitalization will require in such case. However, if diarrhea or vomiting are the reason of dehydration, then fluids intake can worsen the condition. Caution and proper medical assistance is require under such circumstances.
Prevention of Dehydration:
Prevention is always better than treatment. For daily activities, thirst is the normal sign to maintain proper hydration in the body. Our body requires at least eight glasses of water daily to maintain hydration and electrolyte balance. However, in case of intense work, it is highly recommended to increase the intake of healthy fluids. Eating fruits that have higher water content is also beneficial. Dehydration can impose threat on life if proper care is not taken quickly.
Links:
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults?page=2
http://www.medicinenet.com/dehydration/related-conditions/index.htm
