The Causes of Dehydration

There are many things that can cause dehydration, the most common are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (Not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and sweating that usually occur. This is why your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill. Your body uses fluids to expell toxins as well as to keep your system flexible, lubricated and running smoothly.

The Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration usually begin with thirst and progress to more alarming manifestations as the need for water becomes more dire. The initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2% of it's total fluid. These mild dehydration symptoms are often (but not limited to):

Thirst
Loss of appetite
Dry skin
Flushing
Dark colored urine
Dry mouth / Cotton mouth
Fatigue / Weakness
Chills
Head rushes

If the dehydration is allowed to continue unabated, when the total fluid loss reaches 5% the following effects of dehydration are normally experienced:

Increased heart rate
Increased respiration
Decreased sweating
Decreased urination
Increased body temperature
Extreme fatigue
Muscle cramps
Headaches
Nausea
Tingling of the limbs

When the body reaches 10% fluid loss emergency help is needed IMMEDIATELY! 10% fluid loss and above is often fatal! Symptoms of severe dehydration include:

Muscle spasms
Vomiting
Racing pulse
Shriveled skin
Dim vision
Painful urination
Confusion
Difficulty breathing
Seizures
Chest and Abdominal pain
Unconciousness

Be aware that these are not the only symptoms that may manifest in response to dehydration, these are simply the most common. Symptoms of dehydration will differ from person to person because the body is a complex network of systems and everyone's body is different. When these systems are disturbed due to loss of fluids there will be several common symptoms shared by most bodies, but there may also be unusual or unexpected responses depending on the particular person in question. Age also plays a part in the manifestation of symptoms. Signs of dehydration in a child will not be the same as those experienced by a teenager, adult or in the elderly. Dehydration prevention is the best treatment for every age group.

Treatment for Dehydration

If dehydration is the removal of water from an object, then the treatment to reverse it's effects would logically be rehydration.

When a person becomes dehydrated they have also lost electrolytes so it is very important to replenish them along the water. The type of electrolytes needed for rehydration are sodium and potassium salts usually found in sports drinks like Gatorade and pediatric formulas like Pedialite. Electrolytes are needed for electro-chemical reactions within cells. A lack of electrolytes in the body can interfere with the chemical reactions needed for healthy cell operation and is known as water intoxication. This can become a serious condition and has lead to death in extreme cases.

If a person is showing minor symptoms give them plenty of water and let them drink it very slowly, in small sips. Electrolytes are also important to replace. Electrolytes can be readily had from Gatorade or Pedialite. They are also found in salty foods but eating any food while dehydrated will only dehydrate the body more since fluids are required for digestion. If Gatorade or Pedialite are not available, slowly replenish the bodies liquids with water and follow that up after symptoms have subsided with a small salty snack or a very light meal.

If a person is showing some of the more severe symptoms of dehydration as listed above, call an ambulance immediately. He or she may be past the point where ingestion of the proper fluids will help; get them medical attention immediately.

Prevention of Dehydration

The average person looses between two and three litres of water a day through the breath, sweat, and urine. This number can increase or decrease based on the types of activities that a person engages in. Heavy exercise can cause a body to loose more than 2 litres an hour! To prevent dehydration you simply need to replenish the liquids that are lost throughout the day. Many resources and sites will tell you to drink 8 glases of water a day, or give you a set number of litres to drink but the honest truth is that every BODY is different and only you will know how much your BODY needs.

Only YOU can know how much water YOU need to be at your best. Thats right, WATER. Not soda, not juice, not sugar-drinks. Pay attention to your fluid loss and take special care to replenish it as it is being lost. By the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated - you want to avoid becoming thirsty in the first place. Pay attention to the color of your urine, dark urine is usually an indicator that you are dehydrated. Drink more water.

Alcohol Dehydration and Hangovers

By Michael Russell

It probably happened to you too, after a long night out with one little drink too many, to feel the world spinning around you in the morning, to feel your head heavy and your stomach crunched. That was the moment you cursed your life and promised yourself you'll stop drinking. For good! Yet it happened again, because you just forgot how awful that feeling was, or because you were having too much fun to count your drinks, or. just because.

So you know that drinking alcohol causes hangovers, but what exactly in it not even the physicians can tell you. They even have problems whether to recommend drinking alcohol or not. Some simply forbid it, while others, knowing the proven benefits of many alcoholic drinks, recommend to their patients a moderate consumption of alcohol. Yes: moderation is the key and the second answer to the question "how to avoid hangovers", the first being: don't drink.

Wine, whisky and bourbon can cause a harder hangover than beer and vodka. Some chemical substances in dark grapes found in red wines or the yeast in unfiltered beer can cause severe headaches in many people.

Although no one really knows what in alcohol causes hangovers, a proven reason for the headaches associated with hangovers is alcohol dehydration. Alcohol, being a diuretic, makes you urinate. And if you are a beer drinker I don't need to tell you what drink has the strongest diuretic effect. So, when you feel that terrible headache early in the morning, don't go on drinking coffee. Coffee is a diuretic as well and it will only continue the dehydration process. Drink water. That's what you really need. Or start the day with a strong chamomile tea that will act like a balsam for your stomach and open your appetite for food. Because, although you feel like your stomach can't face food, you must eat. Your body needs carbohydrates, potassium and vitamin C after a hangover. Eat plenty of bread or bananas.

Second, you need to do something about the alcohol left in your body. A hangover makes you feel the need to stay in bed. But the secret to a fast recovery is movement. Sweating is the fastest way to get rid of the surplus alcohol. Exercise and sex are as effective as a bio sauna, even more, because not many people can stand the heat and a hangover.

Now you know what you can do after you get a hangover. But can you prevent it? Yes you can! So let's start with the most important advice: don't drink on an empty stomach. Food will help your body digest alcohol faster. As alcohol attacks your stomach, you might consider eating some fatty food like cheese, or having a sip of olive oil that will work like a balsam or a thin film protecting your stomach membrane.

Beer is fast digested, so if you plan to mix beverages, drink beer first. Beer will help your body absorb the other drinks faster. No matter what alcoholic beverage you drink, remember alcohol is a diuretic and always drink a glass of water between each glass of alcohol.

Source:Michael Russell

Caffeine and Dehydration

Many people think that caffeine causes an electrolyte imbalance that results in dehydration. Recent articles have stated that caffeine does have a diuretic effect but it is minimal. Other than that, they show that caffeine does not cause dehydration effects.