6 Signs Your Dehydration Needs Urgent Medical Attention

Dehydration occurs when the body uses or loses fluid faster than it takes in. That leaves it unable to function adequately to meet its basic needs.

At Mercy Medical Urgent Care, Dr. Bilal Khoder and our staff understand the importance of having enough bodily fluid, and we want to educate our patients about how they can stay hydrated. 

That’s why we’re taking this opportunity to present six signs that indicate your dehydration needs urgent medical attention.

The function of water in the body

Your body is composed of up to 78% water. Your brain and your heart are each made up of 73% water, while your bones contain 31%, your muscles and kidneys each have 79%, and your skin has 64%. Your lungs come in at a whopping 83%. 

That means that everything from breathing to digestion to nerve signaling requires water to function properly.

Water helps:

• Aid digestion, including making saliva
• Eliminate waste
• Lubricate your joints
• Balance your body’s electrolytes
• Create hormones and neurotransmitters
• Deliver oxygen to the body’s tissues
• Cushion your bones
• Regulate your body temperature
• Act as a shock absorber for the brain and spinal cord

Water is especially critical in warm weather, as it keeps your body from overheating. When you exercise, your muscles generate heat. To keep your temperature from rising too much, your body needs to eliminate that heat.

The main way your body discards heat, both in warm weather and during exercise, is through sweat. As the sweat evaporates, it releases heat into the air and cools the tissues on which it formed. 

However, when you sweat a lot, it reduces your body’s water level, and this loss of fluid can affect normal bodily functions. That’s why it’s so important to stay hydrated.

Age and dehydration

Anyone can become dehydrated, but it’s more serious when it occurs in infants, children, and older adults. For the first two, diarrhea and vomiting are most often the culprits.

Older adults have a lower volume of water in their bodies than their younger counterparts, and they may have underlying health conditions or take medications that increase their risk for dehydration. 

In addition, their physiology is such that they may not become thirsty until they’re already severely dehydrated.

Signs of dehydration in adults

Dehydration symptoms in adults may include:

• Headache
• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Dizziness, weakness, and lightheadedness
• Dry mouth or a dry cough
• High heart rate
• Loss of appetite, but maybe craving sugar
• Flushed skin
• Swollen feet
• Muscle cramps
• Heat intolerance or chills
• Constipation
• Dark-colored urine

Dehydration can also drop your blood pressure to dangerously low levels. Your body tries to fix the problem, but it can overcorrect and make your blood pressure skyrocket instead.

6 signs your dehydration needs urgent medical attention

Anyone at any age can become dehydrated if they don’t drink enough water, especially when the weather is hot or if they’re active. But while drinking water or even electrolyte drinks can help fix mild-to-moderate dehydration, severe dehydration needs urgent medical attention.

Come into Mercy Medical Urgent Care or call 9-1-1 if you or a loved one:

1. Has had diarrhea for 24 hours or more
2. Is cranky or confused
3. Is sleepier or less active than usual
4. Can't keep down fluids
5. Has bloody or black stool
6. Has a fever of 102 degrees or higher

While dehydration doesn’t normally cause a fever, having a fever can make you dehydrated, so you need to get fluids to restore normal levels.

If you or someone you know is displaying signs of dehydration, Mercy Medical Urgent Care can help. We’re open seven days a week, and you can walk in or give us a call at 386-758-2944 to schedule.