Dehydration
Dehydration can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on how much of your body weight is lost through fluids.
Two early signs of dehydration are thirst
and dark-coloured urine. This is the body's way of trying to increase water intake and decrease water loss
.
Dehydration is a medical term used to describe a state in which the human body does not have the required amount of water or other fluids to perform its normal functions. It occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in.
There are several causes of dehydration however, common causes of dehydration include vigorous exercises, intense diarrhea, vomiting, fever, increased urination or excessive sweating.
You know you are dehydrated when you experience any of these: dry/sticky mouth, excessive sleepiness and tiredness, thirst, decreased urine output, few or no tears when crying, headache, constipation, sunjey eyes, inelasticity of the skin. Please note that the above symptoms are not only peculiar to dehydration.
Contrary to popular belief, thirst is not always reliable in knowing whether you are dehydratend or not. A better indicator is the colour of your urine. Clear urine means you are well hydrated while dark yellow urine shows that you are dehydrated. Someone who has mild to moderate dehydration should take lots of fluid. However, when faced with severe dehydration, medical attention must be sought as soon as possible as uncontained dehydration may lead to kidney failure, kidney stones, swelling of the brain (cerebral edema), seizures, low blood volume shock (hypovolemic shock) or even death.
The best way to avoiding dehydration is by taking in lots of water and other fluids.
How much water have you drank today?
Water is a critical element of the body, and keeping the body adequately hydrated is a must to allow the body to function. Up to 75% of the body's weight is made up of water. Most of the water is found within the cells of the body (intracellular space). The rest is found in the extracellular space, which consists of the blood vessels (intravascular space) and the spaces between cells (interstitial space).
Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount being taken in. The body is very dynamic and always changing. This is especially true with water in the body. We lose water routinely when we:
- breathe and humidified air leaves the body (this can be seen on a cold day when you can see your breath in the air, which is just water that has been exhaled);
- sweat to cool the body; and
- eliminate waste by urinating or having a bowel movement.
The formula for daily fluid requirements depends upon an individual's weight. Normally, fluid and weight are calculated using the metric system; however, below is the approximation in imperial (American) units.
| Body weight | Daily fluid requirements (approximate) |
|---|---|
| 4.5kg | 45cl |
| 9kg | 90cl |
| 13.5kg | 1.1 L |
| 18kg | 1.3L |
| 22KG | 1.5L |
| 34KG | 1.6 L |
| 45KG | 1.8 L |
| 68KG | 1.9 L |
| 90KG | 2 L |
- For the first 10kg (kilogram) of body weight the daily fluid intake required is 100 ml per kg.
- For the next 10kg of body weight, the fluid required is an additional 50 ml/kg.
- For every additional kg of body weight, an additional 10ml/kg is required.
