We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How do I Prevent Dehydration?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 4,934
Share

Dehydration, when it is severe, is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment. It’s therefore wise to prevent dehydration before it progresses to this critical point. Avoiding this situation means knowing when fluid loss or inadequate fluid intake are most likely to occur, and taking steps to make certain that people get plenty of fluids during these high risk times.

Most people who eat adequate food and drink fluids each day won’t automatically get dehydrated unless other conditions are in place. Risky situations occur during illnesses where fluid loss from vomiting, diarrhea or extreme sweating is occurring, or simply when people are running very high fevers. Hot days also pose a risk because they increase fluid loss through higher levels of perspiration. Those who have any urinary conditions that create significant fluid loss might be at risk for dehydration at any time, and people participating in moderate to intense physical activity can also lose fluids quickly.

Sometimes two or more factors are combined. For instance, people could be strenuously exercising on a hot day. Alternately, they could have a urinary condition that causes higher fluid loss and also have a flu. On top of this, there are groups of people more vulnerable to dehydration and these include the chronically ill, young children, especially infants, and the very old.

Knowing the risk factors and risk groups, people can generally prevent dehydration with some common sense steps. The biggest of these is making sure to take in additional fluids during risky scenarios. The person with a stomach flu, for example, needs to begin fluid replacement, by taking small sips of liquid. Though water might be the first choice for some, it’s actually better to use a liquid that has a balance of electrolytes. Choices could include homemade oral replacement therapy liquid or drinks like Pedialyte®. Water tends to be better for older children and adults if diarrhea is present, since many other liquids will cause this to worsen.

To prevent dehydration means to address it before it occurs, and many people only think to drink if they feel thirsty. In “risky situations” this is not the best guide. On a hot day, this would mean drinking before getting too thirsty, perhaps about a cup (.24 liters) per waking hour. Exact amounts vary because of age, and size and specific guidelines are ideally obtained from doctors. Consider that the average intake of fluids should be about eight cups daily, and so increasing this by two to three more cups is likely useful. Greater increases may be needed to prevent dehydration when two or more risk factors are present.

If people don’t adequately prevent dehydration they might note signs like thirst, drier mouth, inability to go to the bathroom, dizziness, and confusion, or sunken fontanelles (soft-spots) on the infant's head. Should confusion be present, elevated temperature, collapse occur or vomiting ensue, people need emergency care. Once the body gets to a certain level of electrolyte imbalance, intravenous fluids are typically the best treatment.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-prevent-dehydration.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.