Dehydration
What is dehydration?
Up to 75% of your body weight is water. Dehydration is when your body doesn’t have enough water in its system to function properly. While we all lose water through normal processes such as perspiration and digestion, most of the time we’re able to replenish ourselves by drinking water and through the foods we eat. However, whenever this balance gets thrown off and your body loses too much water, dehydration can occur.
Symptoms of Dehydration
In early stages of dehydration, you may feel thirsty or notice a decrease in urine output or that your urine is more yellow. If the imbalance becomes more pronounced, symptoms can include dry mouth, a lack of tears or sweating, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations, and dizziness. In extreme cases, coma, lethargy, and mental confusion can result.
Causes of Dehydration
Dehydration happens when you lose too much water, fail to take in enough water, or a combination of both. Physical exertion or extremely high temperatures and humidity can lead to dehydration, as can various factors like diarrhea, vomiting, diabetes, severe burns, or other conditions that limit a person’s ability to regulate their fluid intake or body temperature.
