Introduction
The human body relies on water in order to survive. Water is what helps to ensure your joints can move freely, helps to digest food, ensures that your eyes are lubricated, helps to keep the skin looking radiant and help to flush out the toxins and waste in the body. In fact, water, makes up around two-thirds of the entire body. This is why dehydration can be dangers and cause serious damage.
Dehydration is characterized as a loss of the normal water content in the body, resulting in the body becoming unbalanced. This unbalance is basically a result of the sugars and salts becoming upset in the body. The warning signs of dehydration include feeling thirsty, having a hard time in concentrating, urine that has a strong smell to this, and feeling lightheaded.
How Dehydration Occurs
Those who do not replace the fluids that they have lost are going to have dehydration. As well as those who simply do not drink enough fluids. There are situations in which dehydration is occurring when these fluids are not being replaced. Situations such as the person having vomiting or diarrhea, when they are sweating a lot, or in situations in which the person may be urinating a lot, often associated with underlying health issues. Drinking too much alcohol can also cause dehydration. As dehydration is the main symptom of a hangover that people feel.
Mild to Moderation Dehydration Signs
Though being thirsty is the first sign of dehydration, when dealing with mild to moderate dehydration there are other signs. These signs are:
- Having a headache
- Feeling tired
- Being dizzy or light-headed
- Lips, eyes, and mouth are dry
- Urine is dark
- Passing only small amounts of urine
In cases in which dehydration is ongoing, this can affect the functioning of the kidneys and lead to kidney stones developing. This can also cause:
- Issues with cholesterol levels
- Liver, joint and muscle harm
- Constipation
Severe Dehydration Signs
The signs of severe dehydration are much more serious. Serious dehydration is classified as a decrease of more than 5% of the fluid in the body. The signs of this dehydration are:
- Inability to urinate
- Irritability
- Sunken eyes
- Skin becomes dry and wrinkled
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heartbeat
- Weak pulse
- Hands and feet are cold
- Consciousness level is low
- Seizures
Getting Rehydrated
For those who are dehydrated, it is imperative that they get hydrated as soon as possible. In order to do this, drink something that is going to help with getting the right balance of sugars and salts, as well as water into the body. Most professionals recommend a solution that contains sodium salts and potassium, glucose and/or starch in this.