|
Home >
Healthy
Living > Dehydration
Dehydration is a condition that happens to everyone
at least once in their lifetime. Dehydration is a
condition that occurs when a person loses more
fluids than he/she takes in. Dehydration does not
pose any serious health risks for adults, however
for babies or younger children it can be dangerous.
To get an idea of how much water we need think about
this. Our bodies are about 2 thirds water (2/3)!
When a person becomes dehydrated it means the amount
of water in your body has dropped below the normal
level needed for normal body function.
One of the biggest causes of dehydration in teens
and adults is gastrointestinal illness or any flu
like illness. When you’re vomiting and have diarrhea
you lose a lot of fluid.
You may also have heard that you can get dehydrated
from playing sports however in reality it’s rare to
reach a level of even moderate dehydration during
sports or other normal outdoor activity. However, if
you don’t replace the fluids you’ve lost through
sweat as you go you can become dehydrated from lots
of physical activity, especially on a hot day.
In order for you to counter dehydration, you’ll need
to restore the proper balance of water in your body.
First, you should recognize the problem.
Thirst is usually the first indicator of dehydration
however it is not an early warning sign. By the time
you feel thirsty you may already be dehydrated.
Check for these symptoms first: having a dry/sticky
mouth, producing less/darker urine or feelings of
dizziness and light headedness. As the condition
progresses, a person will start to feel much sicker
as more body systems (or organs) are affected by the
dehydration.
The easiest way to avoid dehydration is to drink
lots of fluids, especially on hot, dry, windy days.
Water is usually the best choice. Drinking water
does not add calories to your diet and can be great
for your health.
|
