Dehydration? How to tell if you are dehydrated.

 

It may be a poor physical condition, dehydration?

My body is heavy, I do not have an appetite, I feel uncomfortable, my stomach hurts...., I am feeling bitter recently? If you are suffering from this bad condition then it may be a dehydration symptom. The risk is throughout the year, not to mention the summer when heat stroke occurs frequently. Dehydration can be life-threatening if the early sign is not recognised. It can also lead to various diseases and result could be severe. Elderly people and children are more vulnerable and need special attention. 

Cause of many diseases

Dehydration is the state where body water (body fluid) decreases. The poor physical condition occurs when body temperature rises, body nutrition runs short, waste products such as lactic acid and urea cannot be discharged out from the body along with urine.

Risks is throughout the year

The risk of dehydration is throughout the year. It could be either of environmental factors, high temperature, and factors that are caused by physical activities (Running).  In the summer, when the temperature and humidity are high, when the sun is strong, dehydration happens by sweating a lot. In winter, dry air from the heater; fills the room and takes away the body's moisture.

The change of the season is also another cause of dehydration. If there is sudden cool down in the body, the reaction of autonomic nerves cannot keep up. Therefore, the power to regulate body temperature and to hold moisture will not function properly.

On the other hand, the main factor is due to insufficient intake of moisture.  When you are dehydrated, your appetite drops and the amount of meal decreases. Even in the winter without sweat, you will be dehydrated. If you have a cold, diarrhea and awfully vomiting, you are at risk dehydration.

Always prevent preventive alcohol with frequent hydration

It is important that you always take preventive measures from your everyday life and keeping in mind that dehydration will always occur. Regular diet, adequate sleep, frequent hydration are important. If you have enough meals, you can use water or tea, but if you do not have appetite and fatigue are accumulating, sports drinks containing salt and oral rehydration solution are good.

However, sports drinks contain a lot of sugar too, so if you do not exercise and take it a lot, energy will be excessive. Especially, people with diabetes may need to be careful as blood glucose levels may rise. The oral rehydration solution is made with the same composition as the body's moisture and it will be safe as it has less sugar.

When it gets dehydrated ... Water alone is dangerous

When symptoms of dehydration appear, prompt hydration is necessary, but it is not good to drink plenty of water only. Because water accumulated in the body, "Because I do not need water anymore" the body reacts and there is a possibility that it will steadily get out with urine. Also, as the body's salt concentration decreases, consciousness may be coming up and seizures or arrhythmias may occur when it gets worse.

It is necessary to supplement not only water but also electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium. For oral rehydration solution, ingredient composition is strictly determined from a sports drink, and it has the same hydration supplementation effect as natural water. Even at home, you can make it with sugar, salt, and water, but handmade items cannot fully compensate electrolyte and cannot be stored so it would be safe to stock a commercially available oral rehydration solution for a quick drink.

Elderly people and infants are prone to dehydration

Children before entering elementary school and elderly people aged 65 and over tend to be dehydrated.

Children are thriving in metabolism, they use a lot of moisture in the body, the function of the kidneys and the control function of the sweat are not sufficiently developed, so if the water becomes insufficient a little, it will be dehydrated quickly. When saying "I am thirsty," it is better to take more water.

Elderly people will lose their ability to keep moisture in the body and the body water itself will decrease. It is the muscle that plays the role of a reservoir to keep the moisture in the human body. The muscle mass declines to peak at 30 years old and the amount of moisture that was going down decreases, so the body water itself decreases. Also, the ability to eat and drink drops and the function of the kidneys declines so that what you drink goes out immediately with urine. Furthermore, the sensor that the alert when you are thirsty is weakened and it does not feel dry. Even if your throat is dilapidated, it is to periodically hydrate.

Timing is important, especially before you go to bed and wake-up in the morning. It is easy to be drained because it does not take up much water while sleeping. So keeping the body hydrated throughout the night is very crucial. This is because dehydration causes myocardial infarction in some cases. So always supply the moisture into the body before going to bed.

Understand "hidden dehydration"

We are calling this "hidden dehydration" in a state where moisture has already been lost from the body before the symptoms of dehydration clearly appear. Getting tired easily, lost in concentration, it is about as symptoms but if there is no sign of other physical condition then there is a possibility that it is a hidden dehydration state.

Full-scale dehydration, if it gets worse could involve your life. It is important to notice the body's moisture reduction during hidden dehydration and lack of supplement of 

moisture.

Did you mean dehydration?  By age "Signs to keep eye on"

Infants 

·      bad mood 

·      rjust crying 

·      quite isolated

·      diaper unexpected wet 

·      even a small tears or crying 

·      not sweating at hot temperature 

·      slight fever 

School 

·      No appetite 

·      Not sweating at hot weather 

·      Fluctuates in mood 

·      Cause light-headedness

·      complain of a headache

Adult 

·      feel the summer heat

·      Frequently thirsty 

·      Darker colour urine

·      Dry mouth/lips

·      Symptoms such as hangover 

·      During the day, Not going toilet for 6 hours

·      Sticky mouth sticky

Elderly

·      decreased the number of times to go to the toilet 

·      constipation 

·      decreased in the amount to eating time Are just sleeping during the day

·      feeling hot

·      slight fever

·      decrease in cognitive function 

·      bad breath 

·      complain of swelling and pain in gums

·      Periodontal disease 

·      Salty taste, there is a taste abnormality, such as there is no taste

·      dry armpits