How to Recognize Signs of Dehydration: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

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How to Recognize Signs of Dehydration: 10 Steps (with Pictures)
How to Recognize Signs of Dehydration: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Recognize Signs of Dehydration: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Recognize Signs of Dehydration: 10 Steps (with Pictures)
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Dehydration is a very dangerous condition and people often go unnoticed. Therefore, it is very important for you to understand the causes and symptoms of dehydration, both for yourself and for others. Dehydration can become serious enough to require medical attention, which is why knowing the causes and how to treat dehydration is so important for everyone.

Step

Part 1 of 3: Recognizing the Symptoms of Dehydration

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 1
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 1

Step 1. Learn the causes of dehydration

Dehydration can be caused by many things. Here are some of the most common examples that can lead to dehydration:

  • Fever
  • High ambient temperature
  • Exercise too long.
  • Gag
  • Diarrhea
  • Increased frequency of urination caused by infection
  • Limited drinking water (eg in areas where the water is contaminated so that clean drinking water is very limited, or people who are in a coma who cannot consume drinking water directly).
  • Injuries to the skin such as cuts or burns (because usually the distribution of water in your body is focused on the wound, so the need for water is higher)
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 2
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 2

Step 2. Recognize the symptoms of dehydration in adults, such as:

  • Increased thirst
  • Reduced amount of urine excreted
  • Feeling confused and unfocused, and easily angry
  • Weak
  • Dizzy
  • Diarrhea
  • Dry lips
  • Few tears
  • A little sweat
  • Heart pounding
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 3
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 3

Step 3. Recognize the symptoms of dehydration in children, such as:

  • Dry mouth and lips that stick easily
  • There are no / few tears that come out when crying
  • Lethargic and irritable
  • Eyes look sunken.
  • The appearance of a soft part (or fontanelle)) that looks sunken on the top of the baby's head.
  • The baby does not or only urinate a little in a period of 6-8 hours.
  • Older children do not urinate for 12 hours, although there is only a small amount of solid yellow urine.
  • Older kids who look tired/dizzy.

Part 2 of 3: Know What to Do if Someone is Dehydrated

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 4
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 4

Step 1. Identify whether the person is dehydrated or not

Look at the condition of the person, does he have symptoms of dehydration? Ask him about how he feels, or observe the person's condition if he can't explain the symptoms he is feeling (eg a small child or person in a coma).

There may be people around you who have symptoms of dehydration. It is possible that the person is severely dehydrated and needs your help

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 5
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 5

Step 2. Find out if the person is an old person, a child, or an adult

That way, you can determine what symptoms to watch for in the person.

Remember that dehydration is very dangerous for children and the elderly, so cases of dehydration in them should be taken very seriously

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 6
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 6

Step 3. Distinguish between mild and severe dehydration

Mild dehydration can be handled by yourself, while severe dehydration will require medical assistance to handle it.

Part 3 of 3: Knowing When to Act

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 7
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 7

Step 1. Treat mild dehydration yourself

For healthy adults, mild dehydration can be treated simply by drinking mineral water or isotonic drinks (such as Mizone, Pocari Sweat, Gatorade, etc.).

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 8
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 8

Step 2. Call the doctor

Call and ask your doctor for help if some of these symptoms occur to you: Frequent vomiting for more than one day, Fever with body temperature above 38 degrees Celsius, diarrhea for more than 2 days, weight loss, decreased urine production, dizziness, and lethargic.

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 9
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 9

Step 3. Get emergency care

Go to the hospital immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: Fever with body temperature above 40 degrees Celsius, dizziness, fatigue and lethargy, headache, difficulty breathing, pain in the chest and abdomen, fainting, and no urine production for more than 12 hours.

Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 10
Tell if You Are Dehydrated Step 10

Step 4. Seek medical help immediately when you find a case of severe dehydration

If you believe that someone is severely dehydrated, then act immediately. You can contact the person's doctor, take them directly to get emergency treatment at the hospital, or call an ambulance.

Warning

  • Remember to always seek medical help when you find a case of severe dehydration. Get the person to the hospital as soon as possible, or at least you can call an ambulance.
  • Severe dehydration is a very severe case. Treatment for people suffering from severe dehydration should be handled by professionals, unless professional assistance is not available when the person who needs the treatment is already in a critical condition.

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