How do I know if I am dehydrated?
One of the most common symptoms of diarrhea is dehydration, this is caused by the severe lack of liquids in your body as they are being passed through the bowels and through the stool and not being absorbed. If you or your child experience any of the following symptoms you should consult with your doctor immediately:
Adults
- Constant thirst
- Dry mouth, skin, lips or eyes
- Exhaustion
- Feeling dizzy or weak
- Dark yellow urine
- Little urination or none at all
Children
- Having no tears when crying
- Temperature above 39℃ (102.2℉)
- Unresponsive and drowsy
- Dry tongue and mouth
- Cheeks, eyes or the fontanelle (the front area of the top of the infant's head) may appear sunken
If you are severely dehydrated, your doctor might get fluids into your system intravenously, which is through a drip and keep you in a hospital to monitor your progress.
It is important to know that frail and elderly people will dehydrate more easily. Ask your pharmacist for sachets with salt, sugar and minerals in them to stay hydrated. These are referred to as oral rehydration solutions.
Can I treat dehydration at home?
If your symptoms are less severe than the above, but you experience some of them in more of an acute form, it is important to stay hydrated. Continuously sip on fluids throughout the day. Try to stay away from caffeine, alcohol and fizzy, high in sugar drinks as these can result in dehydration and avoid excessive sweating in order for your body to not lose any more water than necessary.