Home Remedies and Herbs for Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when your body doesn’t have as much fluid or water as it should.¹ Most people need about three quarts of water in their bodies on a typical day, though some situations require more, such as if you’re spending the day out in the hot sun.² Dehydration can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe.¹ 

The most severe cases can be life-threatening and may require medical attention.¹ If left untreated, dehydration complications can result in heat injuries, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke; urinary and kidney problems, including kidney stones and kidney failure; seizures, caused by electrolyte imbalances; and low blood volume shock.³

What Causes Dehydration?

Dehydration causes involve not getting enough water or losing too much water before you can replenish it. For example, you may not drink enough because you are nauseated, have a sore throat, or are ill. Dehydration causes that can lead to too much water loss include:¹

• Excessive sweating, such as when exercising in hot weather
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Frequent urination

Frequent urination can occur due to illness or diuretics. Diuretics are substances that cause you to urinate more than normal, such as alcohol, caffeine, and some diabetes medications.⁴ Other drugs that cause frequent urination include blood pressure medications, antipsychotics, and antihistamines.

Severe burns can also lead to dehydration due to fluid loss through the skin.⁵ Other conditions for dehydration include alcoholism, bulimia nervosa, cystic fibrosis, and heat exhaustion.⁶

Individuals on certain medications, children, and the elderly are more susceptible to dehydration, though it can happen to anyone at any age.^2,7

Dehydration Symptoms

Dehydration symptoms include:⁴

• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Muscle cramps
• Minimal urine
• Dizziness
• No tears when crying

In severe cases, dehydration symptoms also include extreme thirst, low blood pressure, rapid breathing and heart rate, fever, dark urine or little urine, and irritability and confusion. In the worst cases, delirium and unconsciousness may occur.⁴

When looking for dehydration symptoms in children and infants, you may notice they produce no tears when crying, go long periods without a wet diaper, are unusually sleepy, have a dry mouth, or have a high fever.²

Mild dehydration can be treated by drinking water. It’s best to drink slowly to avoid vomiting.² Sports drinks and dehydration herbs can help individuals retain water. Serious cases of dehydration require medical attention for treatment.⁷

References

1. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000982.htm
2. https://medlineplus.gov/dehydration.html
3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/dxc-20261072
4. http://articles.mercola.com/dehydration-symptoms.aspx
5. http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/burns
6. http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/lookup/conditions-for-dehydration
7. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/home/ovc-20261061