Dehydration is the loss of essential body fluids such as water and important blood salts like potassium and sodium from the body. The majority of the body is made up of water. Up to 75% of the body's weight consists of water.


Dehydration occurs when the amount of water intake is less than the water leaving the body. The young and the elderly are especially susceptible to dehydration.

Fluid losses up to 5 percent are considered mild dehydration; up to 10 percent are considered moderate dehydration; and up to 15 percent are considered as severe dehydration.


Severe dehydration could be life-threatening and require immediate medical care.

Causes of Dehydration:

• Diarrhea: A significant amount of water is lost with each bowel movement.

• Vomiting: Vomiting leads to fluid loss in the body. It becomes difficult to replace water by drinking it if the individual is unable to tolerate liquids.

• Sweat: A significant amount of water is lost when the body cools itself by sweating. It happens when the body is hot because of the environment, intense exercise in a hot environment, or because of fever due to an infection.

• Diabetes: Elevated blood sugar levels cause sugar to spill into the urine resulting in frequent urination. This then cause significant dehydration.

• Physical activity: Prolonged physical activity or prolonged exposure to dry air without consuming adequate water, especially in a hot environment, can cause dehydration.

• Others: Other causes of dehydration include blood loss, malnutrition, yellow fever, and cholera.

Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration:

The body's initial response to dehydration is thirst along with decreased urine output. The urine passed is concentrated and yellow in color. The symptoms progresses to more alarming manifestations and becomes apparent with the increase in the water loss level. The common symptoms of dehydration are:

• Thirst

• Dry mouth and mucous membranes

• Dry skin

• Loss of appetite

• No sweating

• Dark colored urine

• Muscle cramps

• Heart palpitations

• Head rushes.

If the total fluid loss reaches 5%, the following conditions are normally experienced:

• Increased heart rate

• Increased respiration

• Decreased sweating

• Decreased urination

• Extreme fatigue

• Tingling of the limbs.

The symptoms of severe dehydration include:

• Muscle spasms

• Vomiting

• Racing pulse

• Dim vision

• Painful urination

• Difficulty in breathing

• Seizures

• Chest and abdominal pain.

If you ignore dehydration, the conditions may become severe and your brain as well as body organs will receive less blood, causing weakness in the body. The condition may aggravate and lead to coma and organ failure, if left untreated.

Treatment and Home Remedies:

The treatment for dehydration is fluid replacement. If replacing fluid by mouth fails, intravenous fluid (IV) is an alternative. Frequent small amounts of clear fluids such as water, clear broths, freezer pops and electrolytes should be used. Also you must try to alter the patient’s diet and use medications to control symptoms to minimize water loss.

Tips to Prevent Dehydration:

• You must drink plenty of fluids, especially when working or playing in the sun.

• You must take in more fluids than you are losing.

• You must not schedule physical outdoor activities during the day when it is hot.

• If you are engaging yourself in exercise or sports during the day, you must drink appropriate sports drinks to help maintain the body’s electrolyte balance.