When Dehydration Symptoms Might Indicate a Need for Hospital Visit

Most of us will experience a mild form of dehydration at least once in our lifetime. It can sneak up on us without much warning. For instance, if you have ever been outside for a significant period of time in the summer without taking in any fluids, you have likely experienced one or more of the beginning stages of dehydration. Recognizing these symptoms early and correcting the problem by drinking fluids is essential to prevent complications that can arise from more severe dehydration.

If you have mild dehydration, you will experience one or more of the signs or symptoms listed in this paragraph. These signs and symptoms include: a dry mouth, thick saliva, flushed or red face, warm, dry skin with little to know sweat, trouble urinating or urinating a smaller amount than usual, urine that is dark, feeling dizzy which increases when you stand, feeling week, no tears when crying, headaches, feeling sick, being tired or sleepy, feeling irritable. During the mild stage of dehydration, you will likely feel an extremely thirsty. Typically mild dehydration can be treated by getting into a cool place, drinking plenty of liquids and resting.

When you enter the severe stage of dehydration, the symptoms listed in the previous paragraph will become worse. People experiencing severe dehydration might also experience one or more of the following: passing out, low blood pressure, convulsions, muscle pain due to contractions, heart failure, weak pulse that might not be detectable, breathing that is rapid, dry, sunken eyes that produce little to no tears, stomach bloating and a change in skin tone including loss of firmness and wrinkled skin. Since severe hydration can lead to shock and even death, it is essential that you seek medical attention immediately for yourself or anyone experience these symptoms.

Since early treatment for dehydration is essential, it is best to seek medical attention at a hospital as soon as you can if severe dehydration has set in. It is also important that you watch for signs of dehydration in children and the elderly as they might not be able to recognize the symptoms themselves. Even if you are unsure if medical intervention is necessary, it is better to err on the side of caution. Each year, thousands of patients seek medical attention at hospitals for dehydration. When in doubt, get checked out.