Water can create and destroy anything. We know that 71% of Earth’s sphere is filled with water. But did you know that two-thirds or 60% of our body weight is made up of water? Even 1% – 2% water loss in your body can lead to dehydration.
Therefore, water is important for the body and is also a source of nutrition. It is essential for the movement of organs and digestion. Even if you drink a lot of fluids during summer, the body loses a lot of water. Every time you sweat, breathe, and urinate, water is lost every second of the minute.
Therefore, it is important to know about dehydration and how to protect yourself from the problems caused by it. What is dehydration? Dehydration means total loss or decrease of body water. A dry tongue or throat or thirst after drinking several glasses of water could mean you are dehydrated.
Dehydration is common but awareness about it is low. Dehydration is not just water loss. It can lead to various problems like constipation, urinary tract infection, malnutrition, incontinence and confusion. It is also the cause of life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, serious kidney disease, and venous hemangioma.
Causes of dehydration Water is not only excreted through the urine. The body also loses water through breathing, sweating and defecation. When the body loses water, it should be balanced by drinking water immediately.
Let’s look at the causes of dehydration… Sweating is the main form of dehydration in summer. Due to the humidity in the air, the body expels water through the skin in the form of sweat to cope with the effects of external heat. This causes the body to lose water.
Frequent urination / Diarrhea The colon absorbs water from food during digestion. But diarrhea prevents this. If you have diabetes or kidney disease you may need to urinate more often. Excessive loss of water from the body leads to dehydration.
Vomiting is one of the main factors. As the body becomes dehydrated, it becomes impossible to drink water to balance this. Fever When the body heats up, it tries to cool it down through the surface of the skin in the form of sweat. Even if you don’t drink enough water to balance it out when you sweat profusely, the body will become dehydrated.
Symptoms of Dehydration Dehydration symptoms increase even after a 1% loss of total body water. There are different symptoms and signs to understand dehydration in adults and children. They are as follows: Symptoms seen in adults
*Thirsty even after drinking several glasses of water.
*Frequent urination with little or no urine output.*Mild headache and dizziness; Dizziness too.
*Bad breath due to lack of saliva.
*Fever and chills.
*Muscle cramps.
*Sweet cravings. Symptoms for this are…
*Fetal yellow or orange colored urine.
*Dry mouth, tongue and lips.
*Slight pitting on the top of the head.
*Fewer wet diapers in 24 hours.
*Lack of tears when crying.
*Pale or wrinkled skin.
*Constipation.
*Irritation.
Treatment options Immediately after signs of dehydration, drink plenty of water and electrolytes to correct the loss. Restores lost fluids and electrolytes.
*ORS drinks increase electrolytes and fluids.
*In case of severe dehydration, intravenous fluids can be given intravenously. It will help you get well soon. Treatments for children For children, it is best to see a doctor immediately. However, the following methods can help balance mild dehydration:
* Adequate water intake.
* ORS drinks.
* Lemon juice.
There are many ways to detect and treat dehydration. However, prevention is the most important. Drink plenty of water.
*Consume juicy fruits including pumpkin and zucchini.
*Reduce or avoid drinking alcohol.
*Avoid smoking as it causes dehydration.
*Avoid carbonated soft drinks Follow the above tips to stay safe and healthy this summer. In case of any severe dehydration consult a doctor immediately.
