There are certain ailments that happen in everyone’s life at some point of their life. Dehydration is something that many people face but since one quickly recovers from it in most cases we do not take notice. However in some particular cases, when a person’s intake of fluids fall way below the required level he may face serious consequences.

It is a well known fact that around 70% of human body is made up of water. This helps in the digestion of foods, keeps the skin looking healthy and also aids in removing waste products from the body. Therefore the scarcity of water in body means that the essential activities can not be done properly and this takes its toll on the body

. When a person loses more body water than what he takes in, dehydration can occur. As a person becomes a victim of dehydration he faces the shortfall of essential minerals like potassium and sodium. This results in the malfunctioning of nerve and muscle functions. The amount of dehydration may range from mild to extreme and the consequences can vary accordingly.

Dehydration Causes

A large part of the water which the human body takes in is derived from the drinks. One third of it is derived from fruits and vegetables. On an average a full grown person loses approximately 2.5 liters of water per day due to sweating, breathing and urination. If this lost amount of water is not compensated for a long period a person can develop certain ailments. There are some diseases which can lead a person to dehydration like fever, gastroenteritis and diabetes. The urban life can also induce dehydration to some extent. People, who work in hot environments, or are always too busy to drink liquid and who consume excess alcohol can suffer from the menace.

Symptoms of Dehydration

A dehydrated person feels thirsty all the time. Such a person can also experience dry mouth and lips. He may complain of occasional headaches and fatigue. Due to the lack of water intake, the production of urine also decreases in the afflicted person’s body. The muscles of the person can become weak and muscle pains can occur. Severe dehydration can make a person’s eyes look sunken and he might experience fast heartbeat. His blood pressure may fall below the normal level.

Children suffering from dehydration also show similar symptoms. Additionally, they may behave in an irritable manner. The level of alertness also takes a nosedive in such children. Their pulse and breathing rate also becomes faster. People suffering from this menace for a prolonged duration develop severe ailments like kidney stones and constipation problems.

Dehydration Treatments

The main remedy for dehydration is water intake. In cases of mild dehydration, diluted fruit juice is administered. In the extreme cases, the afflicted person needs to be hospitalized and intravenous fluids are given to him to compensate for the fluid imbalance in the body. If a person has acquired dehydration due to cholera or diarrhea he is given oral rehydration solutions. A dehydrated person should not eat any type of dry food as it will only aggravate the situation.

Advice

The best way to avoid dehydration is drinking adequate water. If a person stays in a hot and humid climate area and perspires a lot, his need of water intake increases considerably. One should watch out the patterns and frequency of urination to detect dehydration. If he needs to urinate every 3 to 5 hours and his urine is colorless he can relax. To compensate the water loss, the athletes and sportsmen are given water breaks during events.

According to the recommendations of the Food Standards Agency, every one needs to consume 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. Apart from drinking water, people should consume diluted fruit juice and squash and semi skimmed milk to match the required level of fluid intake. People who exercise lose a lot of water through sweating and hence need to take additional fluid.

This is especially true in the summer months. If a person is doing a vigorous exercise he/she should make sure that he/she is taking enough liquids to complement the loss due to perspiration.