11 Symptoms of Dehydration

Dehydration simply means that you have lost more fluids than you take in. This is a common issue among all age groups, however children and the elderly are more prone to develop symptoms of dehydration. If you are an athlete, or you are involved in high-intensity physical activity, you may also be at an increased risk for dehydration. It is quite normal to lose water and electrolytes through sweating, breathing, urinating or defecating each day. However, if fluid loss is higher than fluid intake, you will develop dehydration. Some other activities which can lead to dehydration are vomiting, diarrhea, fever and gastrointestinal infection or inflammation. The level of dehydration may vary from mild up to severe. Severe dehydration requires immediate medical attention. Some of the most common symptoms which may occur if you are dehydrated are outlined below. 1. Thirst. Thirst is the most easily recognized sign that your body is dehydrated. It is the way our body informs us regarding the status of fluids in our body. The feeling of thirst indicates to us that we need more fluids and helps us to keep our fluid level balanced. The mechanism behind the sensation of thirst is quite sophisticated and not yet completely understood. The loss of fluid inside the body, including water and electrolytes, represents a trigger for some receptors in the body to activate a set of neural and hormonal processes, which leads to the sensation of thirst in our brains. Excessive thirst means that we are already dehydrated. The brain is one of the organs that is extremely sensitive to dehydration. It is recommended that you should practice a regular intake of water and electrolytes by drinking and eating sufficiently to prevent dehydration and keep your brain fully functional during the day. 2. Confusion and/or Irritability. Have you ever wondered why we you're sometimes confused in the morning when you wake up? This is because of dehydration. As already mentioned, the brain is very sensitive to a loss of fluids. If the brain is dehydrated, we may feel dizzy, confused and sleepy. Therefore, drinking a glass or two of fresh water each time we wake up in the morning is essential to protect and enhance our brain function during the day. More severe dehydration can cause irritability. If you feel anxious and irritable, this may be due to dehydration. More symptoms on next page... 3. Headache. Insufficient water and electrolytes in the body causes the brain to literally shrink. Depending on the severity of dehydration experienced, the intensity of the headache may vary from mild to a very severe migraine-like headache. This may prevent you from going to work. The shrinking of the brain causes to detach from the skull in some areas, which causes pain. Once the fluid balance is re-established, the brain will return to its normal size, and the headache should disappear. 4. Seizures. Severe dehydration, followed by the loss of more than 10% of fluid volume may provoke seizures. Seizures are potentially life-threatening conditions and you should seek immediate medical attention. People who have already experienced seizures, either due to epilepsy, or other brain disorders are more prone to seizures if they get severely dehydrated. 5. Fainting. Severe dehydration may cause you to faint. If the brain doesn’t get enough water and electrolytes, it may lead to temporary brain dysfunction and a short loss of consciousness. If you faint due to the loss of fluid, this may suggest you are severely dehydrated. 6. Dry Mouth. Dehydration does not allow for a proper production of saliva. Low amounts of saliva will become sticky and dense which causes a dry mouth. Dry mouth is not quite benign. When your mouth is dry, you are more prone to infection and the risk of development of tooth decay and cavities is increased. Additionally, an overgrowth of bacteria due to the insufficient amounts of saliva can lead to bad breath. Therefore, if you hydrate yourself properly you will prevent dry mouth and all the complications that follow from the insufficient production of saliva. 7. Dry Skin. Insufficient fluid intake makes the skin lose its own natural radiance and hydration. This can result in itchiness, a reddish appearance on the skin, a flaky and cracked skin surface as well as scaling. The skin’s elasticity also decreases when your skin is dehydrated. Furthermore, complications such as eczema, rash, and bacterial infections may occur. To prevent the above skin disorders, which can be very costly to treat, it is important to keep yourself hydrated which will ensure moist, healthy and radiant skin. 8. Muscle Cramps. Muscles are also very sensitive to the amount of water and electrolytes in the body. Dehydration prevents the muscles from functioning properly, which manifests as muscle cramps. Insufficient amounts of water and electrolytes affects the process of muscle contraction. Muscle fatigue and spasms are also symptoms that may suggest inadequate fluid intake. The development of cramps due to dehydration is particularly more frequent during hot weather. To keep proper muscle function, it is essential to drink enough water. This is especially important for athletes, who are advised to intake high amounts of water and electrolytes both during their training and resting periods. 9. Low Urine Output. Insufficient amount of fluids directly leads to less urine. Urine from a dehydrated person is darker, more concentrated and very low in volume. If you urinate less than three times a day, you might be dehydrated. Concentrated urine means that the kidneys are not receiving enough fluids. Long-lasting concentrated urine can lead to lesion of the kidneys. To ensure your kidneys function properly, and prevent excessive kidney damage, it is important to hydrate yourself regularly. 10. Fever and Chills. Dehydration makes it hard for a body to maintain a constant and normal temperature, as the thermoregulation processes within the body cannot function properly. Spending a lot of time in the heat, without proper hydration may lead to the development of fever and chills. Babies are especially prone to develop a fever if they get dehydrated. For the elderly, the thermoregulation mechanisms are already damaged by aging and makes them more susceptible to the development of fever when dehydrated. 11. Craving for Sweets. One of the unusual signs of dehydration is food craving, especially for sweets. If you feel like you could eat tons of chocolate or any other sweets, you might be dehydrated. A couple of glasses of water may sometimes completely replace your sugar craving. When we are dehydrated, the liver cannot release sufficient amounts of sugar into the bloodstream resulting in our body producing a signal that we need something sweet. Drinking water enables the liver to release sugar. It's common for the body to completely confuse thirst with a sensation of hunger. Sometimes we feel hungry, but actually, all we need is a glass of water.

7. Dry Skin

8. Muscle Cramps

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