Dehydration Treatment Questions and Answers

Dehydration can cause severe and drastic complications to your body. If you are feeling any signs or symptoms of dehydration, walk-in to see our medical professionals at AFC Urgent Care Davenport today for treatment.

What is dehydration?

Dehydration happens all too often and happens unexpectedly quick. Dehydration occurs when an individual begins to lose or use more fluids in your body than you are able to consume, and the body does not have enough water or other fluids in it to continue carrying out normal body functions. If the individual cannot replace the lost fluids fast enough, the body will become dehydrated.

Many become dehydrated especially children and seniors, and can be especially dangerous for them. One of the most common causes of dehydration in young children and seniors is severe diarrhea and vomiting. Seniors however have naturally lower volume of water in their bodies already, and may have other pre-existing conditions or take medications that may increase their risk of dehydration.

This can mean dehydration is considered a minor illness, such as infections that can affect the lungs or bladder, which results in dehydration for many seniors.

Dehydration can also occur in anyone if they are not intaking enough fluids like water to help the body run properly, and can become worse in warmer temperatures or if the individual is participating in strenuous activities or exercise.

How does dehydration develop?

Dehydration normally develops when the body starts to lose more fluids than an individual is able to intake. Some of the more common causes of dehydration are:

• Excessively sweating
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

If the body is not able to maintain the fluids it needs to properly function, the body can start going into shock from dehydration. This shock can lead to other parts of the body being affected including the organs, cells and tissues which will all start to fail to function, this can lead to even more dangerous complications if dehydration is not medically treated immediately.

Dehydration is felt through mild to severe signs and symptoms, individuals who experience mild dehydration symptoms can treat their dehydration at home usually, however anything from moderate to severe dehydration will need immediate urgent care attention, if severe emergency medical attention is recommended for treatment.

What are signs of severe dehydration?

The signs and symptoms for dehydration one may experience are not always considered a reliable indicator of early onset of dehydration. Many adults that experience dehydration and in particular seniors do not feel thirsty or feel the need to drink water until they are already dehydrated. It is important to increase your water intake continuously throughout the day and especially during the warmer temperature periods as well as when an individual may be feeling sick.

Several common signs and symptoms that any individual may experience with severe dehydration includes:

• Infant or young child
• Dry mouth and tongue
• No tears when crying
• No wet diapers for three hours
• Sunken eyes and cheeks
• Sunken soft spot-on top of the skull
• Listlessness or irritability
• Less frequent need to urinate
• Extreme thirst
• Dark-colored urine
• Tired
• Dizzy
• Confused

When should you go to the urgent care for dehydration?

When the body is not able to sufficiently keep amounts of fluids in the body to function correctly, dehydration can occur quickly and the body will easily go into shock and will start to feel signs and symptoms of dehydration. Dehydration can easily occur during warmer temperature periods, and the body will start to produce more sweat than usual to cool the individual down. If you are feeling ill, you will see symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea.

Mild to moderate dehydration should also still be taken seriously, and seek medical attention from a medical professional like the staff at AFC Urgent Care Davenport. A few signs and symptoms to look for when it comes to mild or moderate dehydration may include:

• Feeling thirsty
• Dry and sticky mouth
• Dry skin
• Infrequent urination
• Dark yellow urine
• Headaches
• Muscle cramping

If you or someone else is showing signs or symptoms of dehydration, visit us at AFC Urgent Care Davenport for a diagnosis and treatment.