Dehydration

Dehydration is caused when your body loses more water than you have taken in. When you don’t drink enough and replace the fluids in your body you will begin to see certain symptoms that dehydration will cause.

Dehydration can be dangerous at any age but it is more dangerous for young children and also the much older generation.

When children are very young they can become extremely dehydrated through illness, specifically if that illness causes vomiting and diarrhea. For the older generation, it is naturally harder to stay hydrated and symptoms of dehydration can develop quicker. Also, people who are older may be on medication that adds to the onset of dehydration. In this situation, keeping their body at a healthy level of fluids can prove more difficult that somebody of a younger age.

Dehydration can be mild and easily rectified by drinking fluids, however, a severe case of it can be life threatening.

Symptoms

Signs of Dehydration in Young Children

Young children are often unable to clearly explain if they are very thirsty or feeling dehydrated. Here are some signs to look out for if you suspect your child is dehydrated:-

– No tears when crying
– Dry mouth and tongue
– Not wet nappies for 3 hours or more
– Sunken cheeks or eyes
– Sunken soft spot on top of head/skull
– Showing little or no interest in anything

Signs of Dehydration in Adults

The older you get, the less your body is able to reserve water. Also, older people’s senses become less acute when recognising when they are thirsty. Here are some signs of dehydration in adults:-

– Extremely thirsty
– urinating less frequently
– Fatigue
– Dark coloured urine
– Confusion
– Dizziness

When to see a doctor

– If you have had diarrhoea for 24 hours or more
– Sleepy & disorientated
– Struggling to keep down fluids
– Black or bloody stools

When dehydration gets serious!

Urinary and kidney problems

Repeated dehydration or long bouts of it can cause infections to your urinary tract. This can also cause kidney stones and in some cases even kidney failure.

Heat Injuries

If you’re somebody who likes put your body through its paces then keeping your fluid levels up is essential. Not doing so can cause mild to severe ‘heat cramps’ or heat exhaustion. If your water levels get very low you can experience heat stroke which if not treated can be life threatening.

Hypovolemic shock

This is when blood volume causes your blood pressure to drop. This then causes a drop in the amount of oxygen in your blood. Hypovolemic shock is the most dangerous causes of dehydration and medical assistance would be needed immediately if suspected.

PLEASE NOTE : All of the information above has been taken from reliable online sources. We are not medical experts so please use this information only as a guide. Please use the official medical websites below for further information about dehydration, its causes, symptoms and treatments:-

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dehydration/