How to Know if You Are Dehydrated

Dehydration is when your body does not have or store enough fluid or water to function properly. Or simply put--your body is losing more fluid than it is producing. Dehydration can run from a minor to a major problem. People at the extremes of age (the very young or the very old), those with chronic diseases and other conditions, and the acutely ill can be gravely affected by lack of sufficient body fluids. This article will help you do a simple self-assessment to see if you are dehydrated.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Mirror
• Good lighting

1. Lack of enough fluid in your body may include the following physical symptoms: Flushed face Extreme thirst, more than normal or inability to drink Dry, warm skin Cannot pass urine or reduced amounts that can be dark and yellow (concentrated) Dizziness made worse when you stand up suddenly Weakness Cramping in the arms and legs Sleepy or irritable Feeling unwell Headaches dry mouth, dry tongue; with thick saliva.
2. Check your mucus membranes (the coating or lining inside your mouth is a major mucus membrane and the easiest to check). Open your mouth wide and look at it in a mirror in a well-lit room. Well-hydrated mucus membranes should appear moist, shiny and without any cracks or discoloration. Dry mucus membranes are dull and may be "brittle" in appearance (think of a crinkled ball of wax paper).
3. See if your skin bounces back to its original shape after it has been "pinched up." Hydrated skin will have GOOD turgor RETURNING the skin back to its original shape (it has elasticity). Dehydration will cause POOR skin turgor resulting in skin that stays "pinched up".
4. Assess how you feel in general. Dehydration tends to make most people feel tired, irritable, thirsty, have "sticky mouths" (dry mucus membranes) or decreased urine output.
5. Do NOT ignore dehydration. Lack of adequate fluids in your body can result in headaches (minor fluid loss) to convulsions (major fluid loss).

Tips & Warnings

• Simple dehydration can be corrected by drinking water, sports drinks and other "clear fluids."
• Clinically significant dehydration revealing sunken cheeks/facial appearance, poor skin turgor and dry mucus membranes should be assessed by your medical clinician.
• Dehydration of any kind will not correct itself.
• As with any Internet medical information, actual diagnosis and treatment needs to be done by a medical clinician.