Dehydration Treatment in Alexandria, and Ruther Glen, VA

The human body is made of almost 70% water. This water aids body functions such as helping all nutrients from food reach the cells, joints, and muscular movements, balance in the body, digestion, and removal of waste. Some of the forms in which water in the body comes out include sweat, tears or urine, or stools. What happens when the body starts to lose more water than it intakes? It is simple: dehydration. Unlike what popular diction states, dehydration is not a condition. It is either a symptom or an after-effect of a condition. Dehydration is the state of the body where it loses water, and thus, salts and sugars from the body.

A person suffering from dehydration feels “dry,” intense thirst, headache, or light-headedness, reduced frequency of urinating, constipation, and in extreme cases, low blood pressure. In general, the human body needs 3-4 liters of water a day. This changes in summer, when the body produces more sweat, then you require more water. If you go out, and the sun is beaming down on your head, it may also lead to a more-than-normal loss of water. You also lose more water if you have diarrhea, flu, diabetes, or run a hectic schedule where you forget to drink water.

Dehydration is a symptom. Therefore, dehydration develops due to a significant cause. Loss of water is the major reason you may develop dehydration where you are either not drinking enough water or ousting more water. A big cause of dehydration is a stomach infection or diarrhea. If you have eaten something wrong, your body’s natural way of excreting it is via stools. Sometimes, loose watery stools develop extreme dehydration. Additionally, vomiting also leads to water being flushed out of the body, and hence, dehydration. Other factors that contribute to dehydration include the weather, how much one person exercises, and the diet and water intake. Diabetics or alcoholics, too, are at a greater risk of dehydration. Dehydration is more likely in infants and children than in adults as they are unable to keep a tab on how much water they drink. As well, even a little loss of water results in a higher water displacement from their bodies.

The signs of dehydration differ from person to person, especially in children, and older people. For children and older people, even small signs of dehydration should be considered severe. For infants, it includes dry or white tongue and mouth, dry crying, patchy cheeks, no wet diapers in 3 hours, dark or smaller eyes, spongy skull, irritability, or confusion. For older people, the symptoms include restlessness, sleeping more than normal or even less than normal, dry tongue or chapped lips, headache, and itchy throat. For many adults, the normal symptoms include extreme thirst, dark-colored urine, low sweating, fatigue, dizziness, or constipation.

These can be treated by gradually increasing the water intake for a few hours and checking for the signs again. Instead of plain water, you can make an ORS (oral rehydration solution) or a sugar and salt solution to help the body reach its right balance.

If either of these signs are accompanied by a dropping heartbeat, low blood pressure, dark stools, blood in urine or stools, or falling unconscious, you should immediately consider them serious and visit a doctor. If you are dehydrated and have diabetes or a dysfunctional kidney, then visit urgent care. If the dehydration follows a heat stroke, loose motions or vomiting, stomach infection, or a bladder infection, immediately consult with a healthcare professional. The staff at PACS Urgent Care is always keen to assist and answer your questions. Reach out to us today or simply walk in and meet our team. For more information, call us or online check-in today. We have convenient locations to serve you in Alexandria VA, and Ruther glen VA! We serve patients from Alexandria VA, Huntington VA, Arlington VA, Ruther Glen VA, Bagdad VA, Athens VA, Doswell VA, and surrounding areas.