subject: How To Detect Dehydration [print this page] It's not that easy to determine whether a person is dehydrated or not. This is because some of the signs and symptoms of dehydration are similar to that of other medical conditions. That's why you have to be careful before making a conclusion. You will only easily recognize dehydration if you're already familiar with the early warnings that it brings.
Perhaps the most common sign of dehydration is the feeling of thirst. Some say that when you begin to thirst it means that you have already lost a huge amount of water in your body. Though it's not entirely true, you should still watch out and check for other signs as well like drying and cracking of the lips.
Along with feeling thirsty you will also feel like you have lost all your energy if you are dehydrated. Exhaustion is a natural result of dehydration since our body needs water and food to give to strengthen our bones and muscles. When fluid is lost due to excessive sweating the result is always the feeling of weakness and fatigue. That's why even in a very hot season you will notice that you get tired easily.
Another sign you should watch out for is dizziness. Dizziness is a result of poor blood circulation to the brain due to a sudden drop of blood pressure. This may cause a dehydrated person to faint if not treated immediately. If you are having this symptom make sure you try to move slowly when attempting to sit down or stand up to avoid losing your balance.
When the body lacks in fluid, the waste in the urinal bladder will appear to be more concentrated and darker in color. Check out for these signs if you manage to get a leak in the bathroom. Normally, dehydrated people are less likely to visit the toilet, obviously due to lack of water. But don't conclude just yet if you notice that your urine is darker because the discolor might also be due to the vitamins you are taking.
Check out other symptoms as well if you want to be sure that you are suffering from dehydration or not. These symptoms may also include lack of appetite, dryness of skin, hot flushes and accelerated heart rate. The first you might want to do as first aid is to drink water just to make up for what your body has lost.
