FITNESS

How does our body show us that the body is dehydrated?

Symptoms Of Dehydration

Early warning signs of dehydration include excessive thirst and for a diabetic, the inability to hold on to any water ingested. In such a case, water is expelled as urine very shortly after drinking it—within minutes to even seconds, skin on the back of the hand that takes too long to rebound from being pinched, and for non-diabetics, very little urine output. Also, you can depress the patient’s fingernail in the pink part, causing the blood to temporarily leave the tip of that finger. If it does not immediately regain its pink color after releasing, you are getting dehydrated. If you notice these signs on yourself or someone you know, it is very important to move quickly to save your kidneys, your liver, or even your life.

Dehydration is very dangerous for children who can even die from it within a matter of days. Child specialists suggest a rehydration solution like Pedialyte, Ceralyte, and Infalyte that is specially intended for children. Dehydration symptoms in children are manifested by initially a dry mouth and tongue. They do not shed tears when they cry while experiencing dehydration. Their abdomen, eyes, and cheeks appear sunken.

In the elderly, dehydration symptoms are quite different. The main cause of dehydration in the elderly is the medicines they take. One of the most noticeable symptoms of dehydration in the elderly is the poor elasticity of the skin. When their skin is pinched, instead of coming back to its normal shape it holds the way pinched.

One way to know you’re hydrated is your urine will be almost colorless. The darker yellow it gets, the more dehydrated you are.

Dehydration causes :

Excessive sweating

man wearing white shirt sweatingman wearing white tank top and sweating

You lose water when you sweat. If you do vigorous activity and don’t replace fluids as you go along, you can become dehydrated. Hot, humid weather increases the amount you sweat and the amount of fluid you lose.

Increased urination

This may be due to undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes. Certain medications, such as diuretics and some blood pressure medications, also can lead to dehydration, generally because they cause you to urinate more.

Vomiting

man wearing white shirt feeling sick

Diarrhea may be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, food sensitivity, a reaction to medications, or a bowel disorder. Severe, acute diarrhea — that is, diarrhea that comes on suddenly and violently — can cause a tremendous loss of water and electrolytes in a short amount of time. If you have vomiting along with diarrhea, you lose even more fluids and minerals.

Fever

image of thermometer

In general, the higher your fever, the more dehydrated you may become. If you have a fever in addition to diarrhea and vomiting, you lose even more fluids.

Headache

woman wearing mask

Headache is caused due to lack of water in the body. According to an estimate, today about 90 percent of people are caused by headache dehydration. If the amount of fluid is reduced due to the lack of water in this membrane, then it starts having other problems with the headache.

Foods to eat when you are feeling dehydrated.

  • Watermelon is juicy and hydrating.
  • Cucumbers are water-based.
  • Celery has high water content.
  • Blackberries contain a lot of water.
  • Cottage cheese can be hydrating.
  • Iceberg lettuce is made up of mostly water.
  • Soups and broths contain water.

The most basic concept is you have to take in enough water to meet the body’s needs, whatever those needs are. If you don’t, you will over time become dehydrated which in its most severe form is an unpleasant thing with a terrible headache being the least of your problems.

Best Ways To Cure Dehydration

Water is the best drink to re-hydrate your body and relieves dehydration-induced headaches. You can drink water in many forms.

  • Drink pure water with a little salt added to it. This will help balance the electrolytes in your body.
  • Warm water is said to help excrete toxins from the blood. The positive effect of hot or warm water on our blood vessels can be used to alleviate the pressure on those blood vessels and cure our headaches.
  • Warm water with added lime and honey will also relieve headaches for some people.
  • Drink water with fennel seeds soaked in overnight to cleanse your body of toxins.
  • Water with melon and cucumber slices added to it, mainly for the prevention of headache in summer. The melon is rich in potassium and healthy sugars while the cucumber adds vitamin B and electrolytes.

P.S – Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water!

Gary

Gary is a lifestyle writer with a passion for healthy living, fitness, and self-improvement. His writing is dedicated to helping readers achieve their best selves through practical tips and advice.