How can you tell if you're dehydrated?

A sip of iced tea with lemon on a hot day can be refreshing and it also beats dehydration. — Herbalife Nutrition

My husband went to the gym and worked out for two hours. After that, he said he did not feel well. He felt giddy and could not focus. When he tried to eat lunch, he found that he could not swallow. I took him home and measured his blood pressure. It was very low: 78/50. It appeared that he was dehydrated. What is dehydration? Is it a disease?

Dehydration is not a disease but a condition.

It happens when you lose so much fluid from your body that you start to experience certain symptoms.

What causes dehydration?

Dehydration occurs whenever you lose more fluid from your body than what you take in.

If you don’t drink enough water, especially when you are working out or doing some strenuous activity such as marathon running, you can sweat a lot and go into dehydration if you are not careful.

If you lose too much water, such as in severe vomiting, severe diarrhoea, or if you urinate too much due to certain medications (e.g. diuretics taken for high blood pressure), you can also go into dehydration.

That is why diseases that cause vomiting, such as food poisoning and diarrhoea, such as cholera, must be monitored closely.

But won’t I feel thirsty? I am puzzled as to why my husband did not feel thirsty when he was working out.

Your body’s first response will be thirst when it starts to lose water.

The moment you are thirsty, you have to drink fluids right away.

You should not wait.

Some people tend not to hydrate when they are exercising or playing a game.

They want to wait till the entire game is over before they drink water.

But they should not – they should drink between sets.

Adults over 65 years of age are also at risk because they don’t carry so much water in their bodies and can’t tell if they are thirsty sometimes.

So if you are older, remember to hydrate yourself frequently instead of waiting for the thirst signal.

Should I drink energy drinks or water or juices or something else? I actually don’t like the taste of water!

Water is the best overall.

It should the basic hydration fluid that you take every day, especially when you are feeling dehydrated.

It will replenish your body fluid quickly, is easily absorbable and costs nothing/very little.

It is a good habit to always bring a bottle or flask of water with you everywhere you go.

In addition to water, you can take:

> Milk, especially skim milk

Milk has been found to be even more rehydrating than water because it contains lactose, protein and fat.

All these slow the emptying of fluids from your stomach and keep you hydrated for a longer time.

Naturally, there are many people who don’t like or can’t drink milk because they are lactose intolerant and/or are afraid of the added calories.

> Fruit and vegetable juices

> Moderate amounts of coffee, tea or soda

Beware that too much caffeine can cause diuresis for some people.

> Electrolytes

These include the oral rehydration fluids taken for diarrhoea.

They contain sodium and potassium, which also slows down stomach emptying and contributes to slower urination.

This helps keeps the fluids in your body for a longer time, allowing you to recover faster.

One of the symptoms of dehydration is the inability to tolerate heat. — 123rf.com

How will I know if I am dehydrated other than being thirsty? My husband claimed he was not thirsty at the gym!

Sometimes, it is not that simple.

Some people actually forget to drink water.

Some may be thirsty, but can’t tell you they are thirsty, like a baby who may be crying, or an old person who has memory problems.

So if they can’t look out for themselves, you have to look out for your loved ones, especially when the weather is hot.

Some of the symptoms you can experience if you are dehydrated include:

> dry tongue and lips

> thirst

> headache and dizziness

> tiredness

> rapid pulse rate but low blood pressure

> inability to tolerate heat or has chills

> dark coloured urine when your normal urine should be clear and light-coloured

> muscle cramps.

In infants, look out for sunken eyes, rapid breathing cool hands and feet, dry and wrinkled skin, no tears when he/she cries, less than six wet diapers per day, and depressed spot on top of the head (this is called a fontanelle).

For toddlers, who also cannot tell you if they are dehydrated, look out for no wet diapers or urine for eight hours.

Will I die if I have dehydration?

Severe dehydration can lead to coma, kidney failure, and death.

It is a very serious thing.

If I have dehydration, do I have to take my water in slowly or quickly drink it all at once?

It is advised that you take constant sips of water.

If your dehydration is caused by vomiting or diarrhoea, you should take electrolytes to replace the fluids you lost.

Anything involving moderate or severe dehydration, you have to go to a hospital.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For further information, email [e-mail]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.