My Dehydration Experience

One of the freakiest things to happen to me was my little bout with dehydration on March 5^th, 2013. It was an extremely hot day as summer was approaching. To make the long story short, I almost blacked out on the sidewalk along Quezon Street (near SM Delgado). Luckily for me, there was a sari-sari store near where I was standing, and I was able to buy two cold bottles of water. A couple of days later, I experienced weird stuff going on with my body – severe headaches that went on for days, faint feeling/light headedness, difficulty in breathing, and cramps in places you didn’t think was possible to cramp up.

I had no idea what caused them, so I self-diagnosed using WebMD, a website “which has information regarding health and health care, including a symptom checklist, pharmacy information, “drugs information”, blogs of physicians with specific topics and a place to store personal medical information” (PIECE OF ADVICE: DON’T EVER DO THAT; IT WILL ONLY GIVE YOU PANIC ATTACKS).

That self-diagnosis didn’t go so well (hehehehehe). It said I had some sort of life-threatening ailment. I did the right think and went to a real doctor who told me I was dehydrated and that water could no longer replenish lost electrolytes in my body at that point. She prescribed oral rehydration salts and tons of banana (the potassium in the fruit is needed by the body to help retain electrolytes) and I was okay a few days later.

Now that summer is approaching again, I’d like to my little story to everyone so you don’t have to experience the ordeal I had to go to. Here’s a little compilation of stuff that I’ve gathered around the interwebs with regards to dehydration — signs/symptoms, avoidance and remedies:

Signs and Symptoms (from the Mayo Clinic website)

Mild to Moderate Dehydration

• Dry, sticky mouth
• Sleepiness or tiredness — children are likely to be less active than usual
• Thirst
• Decreased urine output
• No wet diapers for three hours for infants
• Few or no tears when crying
• Dry skin
• Headache
• Constipation
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

Severe dehydration

• Extreme thirst
• Extreme fussiness or sleepiness in infants and children; irritability and confusion in adults
• Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
• Little or no urination — any urine that is produced will be darker than normal
• Sunken eyes
• Shriveled and dry skin that lacks elasticity and doesn’t “bounce back” when pinched into a fold
• In infants, sunken fontanels — the soft spots on the top of a baby’s head
• Low blood pressure
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• No tears when crying
• Fever

Prevention (from WikiHow.com)

1. Drink lots of water! Doctors say that by the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. So just keep drinking water. It contains no calories and is great for your health in other ways. A good trigger to remind you to drink is every time the phone rings, then drink another glass.
2. Dress for the weather to make sure that you’re not sweating more than you need to. If it’s a hot, humid day, wear lighter clothes.
3. If you’re going to participate in a sport or a strenuous activity, then drink up before hand. Also important is to drink at regular intervals (around 20 minutes or so) during the activity.
4. If you experience any of the symptoms of dehydration (such as thirst, headaches, and dizziness), then rest for a while in a cool area and drink plenty of water.
5. Dehydration can often occur with a stomach ailment. One loses lots of fluids through vomiting and diarrhea. So if you’re sick, you may not feel like eating or drinking anything. But your best bet is to take tiny sips of room-temperature, clear liquids. Ice pops are a good choice, too.

Treatment (from WikiHow.com)

1. Move the victim to a cool area. This will help prevent heat loss from sweat, and prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
2. Keep the victim still by having him or her lie down. This will prevent any more exertion, and help prevent fainting.
3. Apply cool, wet cloths to critical areas of the victim’s body. These are thin-skinned areas that readily absorb moisture. Areas include:
   • Wrists
   • Neck
   • Collarbone
   • Upper arms/armpits
   • Inner thighs
4. Keep the cloths on to prevent evaporation, and re-moisten as needed.
5. Give water and juice in small amounts. You can also try giving the victim watery fruit, such as watermelon, if they’re not nauseated. They may vomit; if they do, wait a short time and try giving fluids again.
6. Seek medical help if the victim is dehydrated from heat stroke or blood loss, or if dehydration is severe.
7. Get medical help if there is severe dehydration. Unchecked dehydration can lead to delirium and death.

Summertime is supposed to be a time for fun and relaxation and all that crap. Of course, one can’t truly enjoy him/herself if he/she is dehydrated. Just follow these simple tips and you’ll be fine.