Dehydration comes about when the body has less water than it needs. Dehydration can either be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the body’s levels of fluids missing.
Anyone can get dehydrated, but mostly the condition is severe among children and might prompt a dehydration treatment at Urgent Care. Dehydration in children is caused mainly by diarrhea and severe vomiting. Older adults naturally have lower water levels in the body, or have underlying conditions or take drugs that increase dehydration risk.
It means that even minor disorders like infections of the lungs and kidneys can lead to dehydration in older people.
It’s easy to reverse mild and moderate dehydration by taking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs urgent care in Katy, TX.
What Are the Symptoms of Dehydration?
The body does not have a specific indicator of low water volumes. Most adults, especially older adults, won’t feel thirsty until they are wholly dehydrated. We, therefore, advise on taking larger volumes of water in hot weather or when ill.
Signs and symptoms of dehydration differ with age and may include:
Infants /Young Children
- Dry mouth and tongue
- Lack of tears when crying
- Sunken eyes
- No wet the diaper for 3 hours
- Sunken soft part at the skull top
- Irritability and restlessness
In Adults
- Extreme thirst
- Infrequent urination
- Dark-colored urine
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Confusion
Signs for severe dehydration include:
- Very dry skin
- Rapid heartbeat
- Raid breathing
- Sunken eyes
- Fainting
- Excess sleepiness, low body energy, and confusion
- Irritability
- Not peeing and having a dark yellow pee
Severe dehydration is usually a medical emergency that needs you to seek urgent care for dehydration treatment.
How Does Mild Dehydration Affect the Body?
Dehydration has the following effects on the body.
Brain
Mild dehydration has been seen to affect the brain’s cognitive function, especially for people living in warmer climates. It affects short-term memory, concentration, and keenness, which can impair performance on specific tasks. These effects are, however, short-lived and are easily reversed through a proper intake of fluids.
Mild dehydration response also affects the visual vigilance and the visual memory response, especially in men. In contrast, key performances that need cognitive alertness are not altered in women like in men. However, the disparity between the two sexes needs further research.
Mood
In addition to altering the brain’s cognitive performance, dehydration has susceptible effects on victims’ mood alterations. Studies indicate that some adults reported having mild dehydration experienced feelings of fatigue, anger, and confusion.
Energy Levels
Dehydration treatment and testing have reported patients with severely impaired physical performance. People with mild dehydration find themselves going through such a struggle when engaging in demanding physical activities. These effects are a result of fatigue, low motivation, and limited endurance.
The effects on physical performance are also linked to an increased body temperature. Higher temperatures mean more effort is needed to complete a task. This makes the general performance harder.
Mild dehydration can also result in a lower pulse volume, which increases the heart rate, so the heart works more to maintain the homeostatic balance.
Gastrointestinal Function
Fluid intake has been closely related to the occurrence of constipation. A study found that low fluid intake was closely linked to an increased tendency for constipation. The gastrointestinal function was also found to increase significantly following an increase in fluid intake.
Should I Go to Urgent Care For Dehydration?
Dehydration treatment in Urgent Care is necessary because it can lead to worse complications like:
- Heat Injury. This will most likely occur if you do not take enough fluids while engaging in vigorous exercises. You could end up with a heat injury, ranging from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion or a life-threatening heatstroke. For a heat injury, visit Katy Urgent care immediately.
- Kidney Problems. Repetitive bouts of dehydration can raise the risk of developing urinary tract infections or kidney stones, and worse, kidney failure.
- Seizures. Seizures occur when there is an uneven electrolyte distribution in the body. Electrolytes like potassium and sodium aid to transport signals from one cell to another. If they are imbalanced, periodic electrical messages can get mixed up, causing involuntary muscle contractions or loss of consciousness for some people.
- Low blood capacity shock. A hypovolemic shock is a severe and life-threatening complication of dehydration. It occurs after a drop in the blood volume, which triggers low blood pressure and a deficiency in the body’s oxygen levels.