• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Thinkstockphotos 85446705 Woman Holding Water Bottle 1

What to Do When Dehydrated

Aug 13, 2019 |
By Ajsa Nikolic, MD, MHA
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Did you know dehydration can influence your mental functioning, your heart rate and your ability to regulate body temperature and blood pressure? If you lose even 1% of your body weight in water, your physical performance is affected and you feel tired. If you lose 2-4%, your mental functioning is affected. In cases where more than 10% is lost, a medical emergency can result and (if not reversed) can lead to death.

Infants, young children, people with certain chronic health problems and elderly adults are more susceptible to the effects of dehydration, which is why it’s important to practice safe measures to prevent dehydration in yourself and others.

So how much water do you need?

This depends on your age, percent of body fat, general health, diet, temperature of the air around you and your level of activity. You lose water through urine, sweat, feces and the air you exhale. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that the average healthy woman drink about 9 cups a day of liquids and the average man about 13 cups a day.

How does dehydration occur?

You can become dehydrated by not consuming enough fluid from foods and beverages. Other conditions that also can make dehydration more likely include:

  • Sweating during exercise that is not compensated by drinking extra fluids; exercise even in cold weather can cause sweating
  • Hot, humid weather
  • High altitude, which causes rapid breathing and increased urine output
  • Illnesses such as poorly controlled diabetes, and illnesses that cause vomiting, diarrhea or fever
  • Pregnancy
  • Certain medications

Each of these conditions alone can contribute to dehydration and a combination of them can cause it to arise more quickly.

Feeling under the weather? Click here to find an Ochsner Urgent Care location near you. 

Can Other Types of Drinks Make You Dehydrated?

Although caffeine does cause you to urinate more frequently, the effect is short-term and does not typically cause dehydration. Both caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages can be used as sources of water.

Alcoholic drinks also can make you urinate more frequently, but, like caffeine, this increase is short-term and usually does not cause dehydration if you drink in moderation.

8 Symptoms of Dehydration

  • A dry or sticky mouth, caused by too little saliva
  • Less urine than normal, or no urine for eight hours. Urine that is darker than usual may indicate dehydration; diet, medications, and vitamin supplements can also affect urine color.
  • Few or no tears
  • Sunken eyes
  • Dry, cool skin
  • Fast heart rate
  • Lethargy, irritability or fatigue
  • Listlessness or coma – this is a sign of severe dehydration

How to Recover from Dehydration

Drink at least 12 8-ounce glasses of fluid every day to overcome dehydration. Fluid may include water; orange juice; lemonade; apple, grape, and cranberry juice; clear fruit drinks; electrolyte replacement and sports drinks; and teas and coffee without caffeine. Be sure to follow up with your health care provider if you don't get better within 24 to 48 hours.

Remember – warning signs you should seek medical attention include very dark urine, little urine output and/or dizziness, weakness, confusion and fainting.

Tags
dehydration
water

You may also be interested in:

Thinkstockphotos 506107007 Coconut Water
Food & Fitness
Jun 5, 2015

Best and Worst Options for Coconut Water

Check to see if that brand of coconut water you’re drinking is really as healthy as you think it is.
172732748 Flavored Bottled Water
Food & Fitness
Aug 18, 2014

5 All-Natural Water Bottle Add-Ins

5 picks for all-natural, low-calorie water bottle add-ins.
484324117 Strawberry Pops
Food & Fitness
Jul 7, 2014

Healthy and Refreshing Summertime Treats

7 ideas for healthy cool treats to help cool off and keep yourself hydrated.

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide