To help confirm the diagnosis and pinpoint the degree of dehydration, you may have other tests, such as:. The only effective treatment for dehydration is to replace lost fluids and lost electrolytes.
The best approach to dehydration treatment depends on age, the severity of dehydration and its cause. For infants and children who have become dehydrated from diarrhea, vomiting or fever, use an over-the-counter oral rehydration solution.
These solutions contain water and salts in specific proportions to replenish both fluids and electrolytes. Start with about a teaspoon 5 milliliters every one to five minutes and increase as tolerated. It may be easier to use a syringe for very young children. Older children can be given diluted sports drinks. Use 1 part sports drink to 1 part water.
Most adults with mild to moderate dehydration from diarrhea, vomiting or fever can improve their condition by drinking more water or other liquids.
Diarrhea may be worsened by full-strength fruit juice and soft drinks. If you work or exercise outdoors during hot or humid weather, cool water is your best bet. Sports drinks containing electrolytes and a carbohydrate solution also may be helpful.
Children and adults who are severely dehydrated should be treated by emergency personnel arriving in an ambulance or in a hospital emergency room. Salts and fluids delivered through a vein intravenously are absorbed quickly and speed recovery. You're likely to start by seeing your or your child's doctor.
However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, the doctor may recommend urgent medical care. If you, your child or an adult who you care for is showing signs of severe dehydration, such as lethargy or reduced responsiveness, seek immediate care at a hospital. If you have time to prepare for your appointment, here's some information to help you get ready, and what to expect from the doctor. The key to preventing dehydration is making sure that you get enough fluids: Drink enough water every day.
Each person's needs can be different, so ask your health care provider how much you should be drinking each day. If you are exercising in the heat and losing a lot of minerals in sweat, sports drinks can be helpful Avoid drinks that have sugar and caffeine Drink extra fluids when the weather is hot or when you are sick. Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests.
Treatments and Therapies. First Aid: Dehydration Nemours Foundation. Clinical Trials. Article: Comment on Fan et al. Efficacy of Ingesting an Oral Rehydration Article: Prevalence and fluid management of dehydration in children without diarrhoea admitted Dehydration -- see more articles. Find an Expert. Patient Handouts. Dehydration can happen to anyone, but some groups of people are especially vulnerable. This includes:.
On top of that, they lose a higher proportion of their fluids to fever, and they are more likely to experience severe diarrhea and vomiting. Older Adults The body's fluid reserve decreases with age, as does your sense of thirst and the ability to conserve water in the body. Other age-related vulnerabilities include medication that increases urination and health conditions that may prevent you from being able to self-hydrate.
People With Chronic Illnesses Health conditions that can increase how much you pee, such as uncontrolled diabetes or kidney disease, can increase your risk of dehydration. High blood pressure medication and diuretics can also cause you to urinate more.
People Who Drink Alcohol A cold beer may seem like a great idea on a hot summer day, but any type of alcohol decreases the amount of arginine vasopressin , an anti-diuretic hormone, in your blood.
Therefore, you urinate more and can dehydrate more quickly, according to an article published in Scientific American. People on Low-Sodium Diets Having the right amount of sodium in your blood helps you to retain water in your body, says Levitan. Sweating can deplete you of sodium and other electrolytes. Women Who Are Breastfeeding Nursing a child can put you at risk for dehydration.
Caught early, the problem is often easily corrected. Feeling faint, not sweating in areas where you would expect to sweat, peeing less than usual, and having any type of mental status changes are signs that a person is dehydrated. If that medical attention happens on the spot, it could be from a sports team medic or an emergency responder.
Those medical professionals are likely to ask you about your symptoms and what led to them, do a physical examination, and check for low blood pressure. They may also check for racing heart rate or pinch your skin to see if it is less elastic than normal.
Most people recover completely from dehydration once they recognize the signs and address them. As mentioned, moving to a cooler area and drinking water or sports drink with electrolytes will work in many instances. Even cases that are severe enough to end up in the emergency room are usually cleared up within a few hours after intravenous fluids are administered, says Arkun.
Dehydration typically clears up the same day that you address it with adequate fluid. However, dehydration caused by a stomach virus — which may come with vomiting and diarrhea — should resolve on its own after a few days. A person who is dehydrated and has uncontrolled vomiting for more than four to five hours — whether due to viral infection or another cause — should go to the emergency room, advises The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health.
If dehydration is severe enough to warrant an emergency room visit, the first few diagnostic steps are similar. Greater intervention is rarely needed. The website Home Cures That Work notes that commonly touted home remedies to combat dehydration include drinking chamomile tea or other noncaffeinated teas; drinking coconut water; or drinking lime juice in water with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar.
Listen, if somebody likes the way something tastes then they are going to drink it more than then they will drink just plain water. To complement your fluid of choice, avoid caffeinated coffee , teas and soft drinks, because caffeine is a fluid-shedding diuretic, per MedlinePlus. When medical professionals talk about dehydration, they often assess it based on the percentage body fluid that has been lost.
Most people can absorb that decrease in fluid volume without realizing it. In fact, many people exist in a state of inadequate dehydration, sometimes called chronic dehydration.
Nearly 55 percent of all U. Not getting enough fluids is linked to headaches, irritability, poorer physical performance, and reduced cognitive functioning in both children and adults. Remember the old adage to drink eight glasses of water a day?
The most recent guidelines from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in say adult men ages 19 to 70 should imbibe 3. The heat being your core temperature, not the heat outside. It just sits there, and the cooling mechanism is not nearly as efficient. Coupe describes the following three stages of heat illness.
The AAOS provides additional details about them: Heat Cramps Most people suffering from heat illness are in this first stage, Having overheated, they are sweating profusely, feel hot to the touch, and experience muscle cramps — particularly in the extremities.
Early on in heat exhaustion, the person will sweat profusely but their skin will be cool. As his or her body temperature rises, sweating will stop altogether, and the skin will become hot, dry, and red. Heat Stroke A person in this stage is critically ill, says Coupe. Once his or her core body temperature reaches degrees F, organ, brain, and cell damage can occur. They can slip into a coma.
Immediate medical attention is needed to avoid permanent injury or death. Before emergency services arrive, a person with heat stroke should be treated with an ice bath or ice packs to the arms, neck, and groin areas. But, Coupe says, heat illnesses rarely progress to this stage. Learn More About Treatment for Dehydration. The No. In general, during hot, humid days or other situations that deplete fluid such as exercise or illness take a sip of water or a hydrating fluid with electrolytes every 15 minutes, Levitan suggests.
Furthermore, avoid beverages that can have a diuretic effect, such as alcohol or caffeinated drinks, says Schulz. If you take medication that causes you to urinate more often, make sure you are staying on top of your water intake. Also, if you have diabetes or are at risk for it, keep your blood sugar levels stable to avoid dehydration.
Also, know that there are many foods that can help stave off dehydration due to their high water content.
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