Do You Know the Signs of Dehydration?

Your body is comprised mostly of water, and it needs to stay hydrated to function. Even if you think you are drinking enough fluids, certain activities and lifestyle choices can pull fluids out of your body. Dehydration can occur suddenly and cause serious health threats. It is vital to recognize the signs of dehydration and replenish your fluid levels quickly to reduce the risk of health complications.

Dehydration occurs when you lose more fluids than you take in. This can occur for many reasons, from illnesses that cause diarrhea or vomiting to hot temperatures, excessive exercise, or taking certain medications. Drinking alcohol or excessive caffeine can also dehydrate the body, even though they are fluids. Young children and older adults have the highest risk of dehydration and can have the most severe health complications. Heatstroke, seizures, shock, and other serious, even fatal, complications can occur from severe dehydration.

Signs of Dehydration

You would think that you would be extremely thirsty if you were dehydrated. While it is a sign that you should intake fluids, it is not always the case. Relying on thirst to tell you when to drink is not enough – you need to be aware of how much fluid you are intaking – adults should strive for about 64 ounces of fluids daily. If you have other activities pulling fluids out of your body, you may need more to avoid dehydration. The following are signs that you may need more fluids:

• Headache
• Urine is darkly colored
• Dizziness
• Feeling abnormally tired or fatigued
• Not urinating as often
• Feeling confused

In most cases, simply drinking water and intaking more fluids can reverse dehydration. However, if you are having trouble drinking water or keeping it down, it is time to seek medical treatment.

Rehydrating with IV Drip Therapy

When you become dehydrated, nothing works correctly in your body. Even though you need water, you may not be able to get enough through drinking alone. IV hydration is a quick and effective way to restore fluids in your body. It also contains electrolytes and other vitamins that may have been stripped from your body with the lost fluids.

IV drip therapy connects a bag of fluids and nutrients to an IV. Just like a patient in the hospital, you receive the bag’s contents through an IV placed in a vein in your arm. The treatment takes less than an hour. It can be used for those who are dehydrated due to illness, post-surgical issues, hangovers, excessive heat exposure, or any other cause of dehydration.

IV Hydration Infusions

If you have symptoms of dehydration, IV hydration therapy may be the best solution to restore your health. Rapid Immediate Care offers IV hydration infusions at our clinics in Hoffman Estates and Crystal Lakes, IL. Call to make an appointment for your dehydration treatment.