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Makemine a
water
Don’t risk dehydration
EVERY CELL,
tissue and organ in the
human body contains water. Without
water, your body can’t maintain its
temperature, get rid of waste or perform
a host of other essential functions.
At the same time, you are constantly
losing water—through urine, sweat and
even your breath. And you lose more
fluids than usual in hot weather, when
exercising, if you’re running a fever, or if
you have diarrhea or are throwing up.
All of that means you need to take in
water every day—and plenty of it.
When your body doesn’t get the
water it needs and there isn’t enough
fluid for proper circulation, you become
dehydrated. And that can mean big prob-
lems. Severe dehydration can damage
internal organs, such as the liver, kidneys
and brain, and can even cause death.
Who’s at risk?
The elderly are at high risk of dehydra-
tion, because they may not easily sense
when they are thirsty or they may
have a physical condition that makes
it difficult to drink. In addition, some
medications can increase the risk of
dehydration.
Children can
also easily get
dehydrated if they
are not drinking
enough and have
diarrhea or are
feverish or vomiting.
Symptoms of mild or moderate dehy-
dration in adults include:
•
Thirst
•
Reduced sweating
•
Dry
or sticky mouth
•
Small amounts of
concentrated, dark yellow urine—or no
urine at all
Adults who are severely dehydrated
may feel light-headed or confused or
may faint.
Babies and toddlers who are mildly or
moderately dehydrated may:
•
Urinate less frequently (infants will
have fewer than six wet diapers a
day)
•
Have a dry mouth
•
Not produce many tears when they
cry
•
Have a sunken soft spot on their
head
Severely dehydrated infants and
toddlers also may be very fussy and
excessively sleepy, and they may
have sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, and
cool, discolored hands and feet. They
may also only urinate once or twice
a day.
What to do
Drinking lots of water may be all that is
needed to treat mild dehydration.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
also recommends that you call your
child’s doctor right away if you suspect
your child is dehydrated. Over-the-
counter electrolyte drinks (such as
Pedialyte) can help restore needed fluids
in children.
More severe cases of dehydration
require treatment with intravenous solu-
tions that contain sodium chloride.
How to prevent
To help prevent dehydration, drink
plenty of fluids when you are exercis-
ing (both during and after activity) and
when the weather is hot. Choose water
rather than sugary drinks. And carry a
water bottle with you so you can drink
while you’re at work or school or when
you’re running errands.
Sources: American Medical Association; Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention; Merck Manuals
Online Medical Library
When your body doesn’t get the water it
needs and there isn’t enough fluid for proper
circulation, you become dehydrated.
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