What Is Dehydration?
Dehydration occurs when the body doesn’t receive enough water. Dehydration can affect everyone, but it is particularly dangerous for small children and elderly people. Depending on how severe the dehydration is, there are different signs and symptoms. Before a person becomes completely dehydrated, dehydration symptoms may start to show. Mild to severe dehydration can cause symptoms including dry skin, headaches, lethargy, and dizziness. It can also cause increased thirst. Mild to severe dehydration symptoms can include excessive thirst, a lack of sweat, low blood pressure, a fast heartbeat, and wrinkled skin.
Although dehydration can affect anybody, some individuals are more vulnerable than others –
● Babies and infants – are particularly vulnerable to even little quantities of fluid loss because of their low body weight.
● Elderly people – may be unaware that they should keep drinking water to avoid being dehydrated.
● People with health conditions – those who have a chronic illness, including diabetes or alcoholism.
● Athletes – When they exercise for a long time, they can lose a lot of bodily fluid through sweat.
Causes of Dehydration
Most people will at some time in their lives experience the milder symptoms of dehydration, which can happen for a variety of causes. Among some of the causes of dehydration are:
● Excessive sweat – Long-term heat exposure and strenuous exercise make you
sweat more, which causes you to lose more fluid.
● Certain medicines – including diuretics, blood pressure medicines, and
antipsychotics since they cause excessive thirst.
● Vomiting/Diarrhea – which results in a rapid loss of minerals and water.
Effects of Dehydration
The effects of dehydration can soon become significant and even life-threatening because the human body needs water to survive. Our blood is becoming more and more concentrated as we lose fluid, which makes the cardiovascular system work even harder to effectively pump blood. Serious effects of dehydration include heatstroke, kidney problems, seizures, heat cramps, and hypovolemic shock.
What To Do
You must make every effort to avoid becoming dehydrated. Most people should be able to avoid dehydration by drinking enough fluids and eating meals high in water content (like fruits and vegetables), but if you drink water as well, it will be the perfect solution. People who exercise a lot should be cautious while engaging in physical activity during the hottest time of the day and prioritize rehydrating themselves with water. Young children and elderly people should get extra attention to try and make sure they get enough fluids as they can get dehydrated without knowing.
You must restore the sugar, salts, and minerals that your body has lost if you are suffering from dehydration. At Valleyridge Pharmacy, our pharmacists can recommend oral rehydration sachets (ORS) suitable for you.