Effects Of Dehydration
5 Common Effects of Dehydration
Educating yourself about the common effects of dehydration is a good way to stay alert to the problem and to respond if you or someone near you ever manifests any of those effects.
The human body has a significant amount of water and as much as 75 percent of a person’s body weight is from the water in the body. The water is usually found intracellular space which is the space within the cells of the body. The extracellular space such as the blood vessels and spaces between cells also hold water. The former is called intravascular space and the latter interstitial space. So, water is extremely important for the normal functioning of the body and dehydration happens when the amount of water intake is less than the amount of water leaving the body.
Extreme thirst and reduce urinating are the two immediate ways the body copes with dehydration. The body is expressing the need for additional water with the thirst and is conserving its water out-flow by producing less urine. The urine tends to be concentrated and noticeably yellow and this symptom will become more pronounced if the dehydration advances. Dry mouth, body’s inability to produce tears, cessation of sweat are all again indicators that water is in short-supply in the body.
Other physical effects of dehydration include nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps and heart palpitations. The heart palpitation is caused by the fact that the heart has to increase its rate to pump blood through the body when the amount of fluid in the intravascular space is reduced. This defense mechanism of the body cannot sustain for long if the dehydration is not treated promptly. Reduced blood flow to the brain can lead to confusion and weakness and severe dehydration can actually lead to coma. While this is a worst case scenario, there is no doubt that dehydration is a severe problem that if left unattended can lead to far bigger shutting down of critical faculties.
It is important to note that the effects of dehydration are not the same for everybody. Depending on the age, general health and factor such as body weight symptoms of dehydration may show differently in different cases. And while the progression mentioned above is a general guideline of when there is mild to severe dehydration, it is important to seek medical help if you suspect that you are experiencing dehydration.
Some of the common causes of dehydration are diarrhea, excessive sweating from hard physical labor or sun exposure, vomiting, inadequate fluid consumption and burn injuries. Diabetes is a medical condition that can lead to dehydration also because frequent urination associated with the disease can deplete the fluid levels in the body. Sometimes, a person dealing with any of these primary conditions may be too distracted to notice signs of dehydration.
So sometimes a patient who goes in for a different problem may be told that they are experiencing dehydration at the doctor’s office because a physical examination and reading of blood pressure and body temperature will usually accurately reveal the body’s condition.
The only treatment for anyone showing the effects of dehydration is to replenish the body with fluids. It is important to remember that clear fluids are necessary. If you self-diagnose dehydration and start making an effort to increase your fluid consumption such oral injection of fluids into the body is enough. If the dehydration goes undetected and a clinical diagnosis becomes necessary, the doctor may recommend intravenous fluid injection to deal with an escalating problem. The level of treatment will, therefore, directly correspond to the level of dehydration that a person suffers.