What are the possible causes of dehydration?

Did you know that dehydration can lead to a number of health problems? In order to effectively prevent it, it is good to have an overview of the factors that can lead to dehydration. In this article, we will therefore focus on the possible causes of dehydration, which affects a large percentage of people every year, both adults and children.

What is the definition of dehydration?

What symptoms are associated with dehydration?

Can dehydration cause headaches? Can dehydration cause high blood pressure? These are the questions people often ask when they suspect they are dealing with dehydration. Dehydration is associated with a variety of symptoms  that vary based on whether the dehydration is mild or moderate to severe.

Symptoms of mild dehydration

Mild dehydration usually includes the aforementioned headaches and is also manifested by thirst, dry lips and dry skin, constipation, light-headedness and concentrated urine.

Symptoms of moderate and severe dehydration

Common symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration include feeling very thirsty, insufficient sweating and urination, rapid pulse, muscle cramps, rapid breathing, and pale skin.

Moderate to severe dehydration can also affect blood pressure. It can cause your blood pressure to drop sharply and then rise rapidly in response to this drop.

What problems can dehydration lead to?

Dehydration is not only associated with a number of symptoms that can really torment you, but it can also lead to serious health complications. Which ones? For example, heat exhaustion, seizures due to loss of electrolytes, heatstroke, cramps, or kidney failure.

What causes dehydration?

Are you wondering what causes dehydration in adults? The most common causes include sweating, certain diseases, insufficient fluid intake and excessive urination.

Perspiration

One of the very common causes of dehydration is excessive sweating, which leads to the loss of a large amount of body fluids. Excessive sweating can occur during hot summer days or during playing sports. Therefore, if you sweat more, you should compensate for the loss of fluids by drinking more.

Illness

Diseases that cause dehydration include those that are accompanied by fever. During a fever, the body loses a large amount of fluid through the skin in order to lower the body temperature. Dehydration can also be caused by illnesses that cause prolonged vomiting or diarrhea, such as intestinal flu.

During these illnesses, the body can also lose important electrolytes. You should supply your body with water and electrolytes – i.e., minerals that perform a number of functions in the body – by increasing your fluid intake and drinking drinks with electrolytes, which you can buy at the pharmacy.

Inadequate fluid intake

Of course, dehydration is also caused by reduced fluid intake. The best way to prevent dehydration is to drink an adequate amount of fluid throughout the day. It is especially recommended to drink pure water or unsweetened teas.

Excessive urination

Dehydration can also be caused by excessive urination, which is not replenished by increased fluid intake. Some types of medication can cause excessive urination, for example diuretics.

Foods and drinks that can contribute to dehydration

If you experience any of the symptoms of dehydration, avoid overly salty foods, soft beverages, caffeine, and alcohol. These foods and drinks can dehydrate you even more.

Dehydration and alcohol

As we mentioned above, you should avoid alcohol when you are dehydrated. Alcohol is proven to dehydrate the body. Alcohol causes the body to remove fluids from the blood through the kidneys, ureters, and bladder much more quickly.