('''hypohydration''') is the removal of
Water (''hydor'' in ancient
Greek ) from an object.
Medical ly, dehydration is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition in which the body contains an insufficient volume of water for normal functioning.
The term "volume depletion" is similar to dehydration, but it refers to the loss of salts as well as water. Also see
Hypovolemia .
In
Human s, dehydration can be caused by a wide range of
Disease s and states that impair
water
Homeostasis in the body. These include:
Symptom s may include
Headache s similar to what is experienced as a
Hangover , a sudden episode of
Visual Snow , decreased
Blood Pressure (
Hypotension ), and
Dizziness or
Fainting when standing up due to
Orthostatic Hypotension . Untreated dehydration generally results in
Delirium ,
Unconsciousness , and
Death .
Dehydration symptoms generally become noticeable after 2% of one's normal water volume has been lost. Initially, one experiences
Thirst and discomfort, possibly along with loss of
Appetite and dry
Skin .
Athlete s may suffer a loss of performance of up to 50%, and experience
Flushing , low endurance, rapid
Heart Rate s, elevated body temperatures, and rapid onset of
Fatigue .
The symptoms become increasingly severe with greater water loss. One's heart and
Respiration rates will increase to compensate for decreased
Plasma volume and
Blood Pressure , while body temperature may rise because of decreased sweating. Around 5% to 6% water loss, one may become groggy or
Sleep y, experience headaches or
Nausea , and may feel tingling in one's limbs (
Paresthesia ). With 10% to 15% fluid loss, muscles may become spastic, skin may shrivel and wrinkle, vision may dim, urination will be greatly reduced and may become painful, and delirium may begin. Losses of greater than 15% are usually fatal.
{Link without Title}
Correction of a dehydrated state is accomplished by the replenishment of necessary water and electrolytes (
Rehydration ). Even in the case of serious lack of
Fresh Water (''e.g.'' at
Sea or in a
Desert ),
Drinking Seawater or
Urine does not help, nor does the consumption of
Alcohol . It is often tought that the sudden influx of
Salt into the body from
Seawater will cause the
Cell s to dehydrate and the
Kidney s to overload and shut down but it has been calculated that average adult can drink up to 0.2 liters of seawater per day before the kidneys start to fail.
When dehydrated, unnecessary
Sweating should be avoided, as it wastes water. If there is only dry food, it is better not to eat, as water is necessary for
Digestion . The best treatment for minor dehydration is consumption of an
Electrolyte -balanced fluid like a sports drink. For severe cases of dehydration where
Fainting ,
Unconsciousness , or any other severely inhibiting symptom is present (the patient is incapable of standing or thinking clearly), emergency attention is required. Fluids will be given through an IV, and within a few hours, the patient will return to normal unless a complication occurs.
A person's body loses, during an average day in a
Temperate Climate such as the
United Kingdom , approximately 2.5
Litre s of water. This can be through the
Lung s as
Water Vapor , through the
Skin as
Sweat , or through the
Kidney s as
Urine . Some (a less significant amount, in the absence of
Diarrhea ) is also lost through the
Bowel s.
During vigorous exercise or in a hot environment, it is easy to lose several times this amount. Heavy exercise in high temperatures could cause the loss of over 2.5 litres of fluid per hour, which exceeds the body's absorptive capacity.
Judge Lynch of the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court argued that death by dehydration symptoms was "cruel and violent" in his opinion on the
1986 Brophy Case :
- The mouth would dry out and become caked or coated with thick material.
- The lips would become parched and cracked.
- The tongue would swell, and might crack.
- The eyes would recede back into their orbits and the cheeks would become hollow.
- The lining of the nose might crack and cause the nose to bleed.
- The skin would hang loose on the body and become dry and scaly.
- The urine would become highly concentrated, leading to burning of the bladder.
- The lining of the stomach would dry out and the sufferer would experience dry heaves and vomiting.
- The body temperature would become very high.
- The brain cells would dry out, causing convulsions.
- The respiratory tract would dry out, and the thick secretions that would result could plug the lungs and cause death.
- At some point within five days to three weeks, the major organs, including the lungs, heart, and brain, would give out and the patient would die.
''Be advised that death due to dehydration can occur in 3 days (or less in hot weather) and no one normally lives more than about 5-6 days without water.''
in the water of a
Fish Pond ]]
