Dehydration is the result of loss of water from your body due to certain reasons. The body constantly loses water through sweating, urination and excretion, so the water loss must be substituted by taking the required amount of fluids daily. This state of the body could be dangerous and could lead to many types of diseases, the most fatal of all being death. Dehydration is very common and must be treated as soon as possible to avoid fatalities. For healthy recovery, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of dehydration and methods to tackle it. If you are in such a position or find someone who is suffering from dehydration, then the following treatments will suffice. Read on.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 8 to 10 hours
Resources Required:
- Water
- Fruit juices
- Other fluids like tea, sports drinks
Instructions:
1. Know the symptoms
- It is important to know the symptoms in order to tackle it.
- Some of the symptoms include infrequent urination, dark yellow or orange color urine, reduced sweat, dry mouth and nose, thirst, dizziness, weakness and overheating.
- If you have one or more of these symptoms then you have a high chance of being dehydrated.
2. High risk categories
- Although, anyone can be a victim to dehydration at any point in their lives, there are certain categories of people who are highly prone to it.
- Children are the most prone to dehydration and it it is the single leading cause of childhood deaths around the world.
- The elderly and heavy exercisers follow suit. People in extreme climatic conditions have a very high chance of being dehydrated because the heat aggravates fluid loss through sweating and the cold prompts fluid loss caused by reduced blood volume.
- People on any form of medication and anyone with illness that causes fluid loss are prone to dehydration.
3. Treatments
- The first and foremost thing to do is to drink enough fluids even if you are not feeling particularly thirsty. A person should drink about ten to twelve glasses of water on an average or any other fluids like juice for example.
- If you have the habit of exercising regularly, then plan on drinking a small bottle of water or sports drink every hour of the exercise.
- Some fresh fruits and vegetables like watermelon and cucumber can prevent dehydration with their hydrating properties. Consume lots of these fruits as they keep you away from being dehydrated. Also remember to drink lots of water after eating salty, dry and oily foods.
- If you have realised that the dehydration was caused due to excessive heat then make sure you move to a cooler environment to prevent water loss due to sweating. Don’t exert yourself further and lie down on a cool floor.
- Apply a wet cloth to the collar bone, wrists, neck, arms, inner thighs and armpits as these areas absorb moisture quickly. Continue the process till you think is necessary.
- It is important that you stay away from carbonated drinks, alcohol and other beverages when you are dehydrated as they will only worsen the situation.
- If you start vomiting or nauseating then wait for a while and then continue taking fluids again.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are there any home remedies for dehydration?
Listed below are some home remedies to tackle dehydration:
1. A mixture of 1 tsp mint juice, 1/2 tsp ginger juice and 1 tsp honey can do the trick
2. Eat a green banana every 2 to 4 hours till symptoms subside.
3. Stewed apples with nutmeg powder and sugar are known to cure dehydration in a jiffy.
4. Mix some chopped basil leaves, sea salt and pepper in curd and eat it at least 3 times a day to get rid of dehydration.
5. Grate a papaya, add some water to it and boil, strain and consume the water in one day.
Quick Tips:
1. If you find that your dehydration symptoms are getting worse and are not reducing even after the treatments, then it is advisable to get the help from a doctor.
2. If you are doing a hiking trip, then make sure you carry enough water with you, as all that exercise in extreme weather conditions will definitely leave you dehydrated.
3. Drinking excess amounts of alcohol can also leave you dehydrated. So, keep drinking enough water after your alcohol sessions.
Things To Watch Out For:
1. If dehydration is left untreated, it could lead to death.
2. Sometimes, you might be admitted in hospital and be given an IV tube to help liquid intake. Especially for children, this can be a bit traumatic.