Did you know that not drinking water can lead to so many problems? A headache, afternoon slumps in the afternoon, or fatigue are some of the symptoms of dehydration. If you are not careful, you might get severe dehydration, and it could be life-threatening. This article brings you Severe dehydration, signs, and symptoms.
Severe dehydration symptoms and signs
The symptoms of duration appear differently in different ages and people. These are the common signs of dehydration:
- Feeling thirsty and in need of water.
- Your mouth and tongue are dry.
- Fatigue or tiredness.
- Fewer visits to the bathroom.
- Headaches
- Fainting.
You’d better check the signs of dehydration in adults and children from the below section.
Severe dehydration causes
There are different causes of severe dehydration. You should determine the root cause. The first cause is the medications you take. Some medications for blood pressure are diuretics. Taking them could lead to dehydration or severe dehydration. You might lose fluids quickly, and it leads to dehydration. You’d better check whether the medications you take are diuretics. If you have experienced dehydration or severe dehydration before, you’d better check every medication you take. You should also explain your situation to your doctor to avoid prescribing diuretic medication.
The first inevitable cause of dehydration is not drinking enough water or eating fruits and vegetables rich in water. If you do not drink enough water for some time, it might lead to severe dehydration. You must drink enough water every day. The amount you need is different for each person and is up to your conditions:
- Gender
- Diet (caffeine and alcohol, salt, etc.)
- Age
- Job
- Fitness level.
- Physical activity
- Body size
- Weather
- Sweat rate
- Height
- Health condition
- Clothing
- Medications you take.
- Work out duration and intensity.
According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, men need about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters), and women need about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of water every day. The amount can change by the above conditions.
You should drink enough water every day and determine if you suffer from signs of dehydration.
The next cause of severe dehydration is illness. Some diseases can lead to dehydration.
- Diarrhea or vomiting,
- fever,
- perspiration,
- Celiac disease
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Cystic fibrosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Diabetes
- POTs syndrome
- Cancer
- Ulcerative colitis
If you suffer from one of the above conditions, you should be careful with dehydration. Ensure to drink enough water per day. Moreover, you’d better consult with your health expert or doctor about the amount of water you should drink or other considerations. The point is that you do not get severe dehydration immediately. You get dehydration, and it progresses to mild dehydration and then might become severe dehydration.
The other case of dehydration is heat. If you spend a lot of time in the hot or warm weather or under the sun, in a sauna, or working out in hot conditions, you might get severe dehydration. Mountain climbers, athletes, and runners, particularly Marathon runners, are at risk of severe dehydration if they do not drink water and compensate for the lost water. If you work outdoors and must spend a lot of time under the sun, you’d better wear a hat and sunglasses and drink enough water. Firefighters, police officers, and everyone working outdoors might be at risk, especially in the summer and hot areas like Las Vegas.
Severe dehydration symptoms in adults
There are various symptoms of dehydration, mild and severe dehydration. They appear differently in people and on different levels. You’d better know all of them and be careful. If you see them in yourself or others, you should take the required measures; drink enough water, stay calm and under cooler weather, or visit healthcare.
There is a condition called Poor skin turgor. This is when it takes longer for your skin to go back to its normal or original appearance. When your skin is like this, it’s a sign of dehydration. You can see it with the skin part on the back of your hands.
Answer this question. Do you suffer from headaches in the afternoon and get slumps? Headaches are a common sign of dehydration. If you do not drink water every day, it’s likely to get headaches in the afternoon or evening. Try to drink a few cups or a bottle of water until your lunch to avoid them. Remember that dehydration could damage your brain, so you might have to visit health care.
Your body sweats regulate; it’s trying to regulate overheating, control or decrease the temperature, and function normally. If you do not sweat, it’s one of the signs of dehydration. The body doesn’t have enough fluid to produce sweets and cannot work properly. If the body cannot regulate temperature and decrease it, it might lead to heat stroke and heat exhaustion. When you are working out or spending time under the sun, try to determine whether you sweat or not. Also, try to find out whether you are sweating at all or not. If it’s not normal, you might be severely dehydrated and should consult with a health expert.
How many times per day do you visit the bathroom? If you do not visit the bathroom or have fewer visits or fewer than normal, you might be dehydrated. If it doesn’t go back to normal with drinking water and making up for the lost water, you’d better visit a doctor.
Last but not least, being thirsty is a sign of dehydration. Your body is sending a signal that it needs water, and you should grab that bottle of water.
There might be other signs of dehydration in different people and by their conditions. Children, the elderly, and pregnant women might show different signs and symptoms of dehydration.
Remember that severe dehydration can cause serious damage and might lead to death.
How long does it take you to rehydrate from severe dehydration?
The time your body needs to dehydrate itself is up to various factors. First, it must determine the level of your hydration. If it’s mild dehydration, you might get back to normal after 2 to a few hours after drinking enough water. You’d better not gulp water immediately and take it regularly so your body can replace the lost amount and go back to normal. You should drink enough or more water after you get dehydrated so that your body can go back to normal.
Mild dehydration might be treated by drinking water and resting. But severe dehydration might need hospitalization and getting medicine. If healthcare professionals determine you need to stay in the hospital, you might have to spend up to 24-36 hours in the hospital to rehydrate and recover. It’s up to your dehydration level and how bad it is.
You’d better drink water and stick to it after you see the signs of dehydration. It’s the best drink that can rehydrate yourself.
You’d better spread out the cups of water you take to get the most benefits. Also, rehydration after every workout might be different. A runner or mountain climber might need different amounts of water after finishing the workout session.
What to expect if you are severely dehydrated?
It’s obvious that you should expect signs of dehydration if you are severely dehydrated. But you might experience them at a higher level or more intensity.
You might even faint and lose consciousness if you do not drink enough water for one day. Your body might react to severe dehydration differently.
If you want to spend time in nature, like hiking, mountain climbing, or a Marathon, you should ensure that you have access to water and that people are around to help in an emergency.
Severe dehydration treatment
In some cases, severe dehydration can be treated with drinking water and compensating for the lost water, and resting. But in a few cases, you must visit a hospital or clinic, and they take the safety and treatment measures. It’s up to the level of your dehydration and how bad it is.
The best treatment is to avoid severe dehydration by drinking enough water per day.
Just like your body needs food during the day, it needs water during the day. The need for hydration is not answered by two or a few cups in the morning or at night.
How to avoid severe dehydration?
It’s simple, drink enough water per day. You should spread the amount of water you need during the day and implement strategies and techniques to drink enough water. Also, you can eat fruit and vegetables that are rich in water, like cucumber, watermelon, tomato, grapes, strawberries, etc.
If you have a desk job, you can put a bottle of water on your desk to remind you to drink water. Also, you can install water apps or set reminders on your Smartphone to remember to drink water. There are certain times that you set to eat meals. You can drink one glass or cup before meals to ensure your hydration.
One way to ensure your hydration is to get water from water companies, as tap water might not taste good in your area, especially in Las Vegas.
Tahoe Springs Water has provided the best alkaline, spring mountain, and purified drinking water in the area.
Give us a call at 702-903-1433 and order your water option now. Delivery is always free, and we will deliver your water option right to your place.