Dehydration: Signs, How to Prevent It, and Quick Home Fixes

Ever felt dizzy, tired, or unusually thirsty after a long day? Those are common warning signs of dehydration. Losing about 2% of your body weight in water can already reduce focus and make exercise feel harder. Know the signs so you can act fast.

Dehydration happens when your body loses more fluid than you take in. Causes include hot weather, sweating during workouts, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and not drinking enough fluids during illness. Certain medicines and alcohol can also raise your risk. Babies, older adults, and people with chronic illness are more vulnerable.

Spot the symptoms

Look for dry mouth, dark urine, less frequent peeing, dizziness when standing, headache, and feeling unusually tired. In kids, check for few wet diapers, sunken eyes, or lack of tears when crying. Severe dehydration brings very low urine output, rapid heartbeat, confusion, or fainting - seek medical help if you see those.

Simple fixes you can do now

If symptoms are mild, drink fluids slowly but steadily. Water works well for everyday dehydration. For sweat-heavy losses (long runs, heavy labor) or diarrhea and vomiting, use an oral rehydration solution (ORS) to replace salt and sugar along with water. A basic DIY ORS: mix 1 liter of clean water with 6 level teaspoons of sugar and half a level teaspoon of salt. Sip it, don't gulp.

Avoid drinks that can make dehydration worse: high-caffeine beverages and alcohol. Sports drinks can help during long exercise but check sugar and sodium amounts. Coconut water is a decent natural option for mild rehydration because it has potassium, but it has less sodium than ORS so it's not ideal for heavy fluid loss.

If you can't keep fluids down, have severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, fainting, very dry mouth, or confusion, go to the emergency room. Kids under two, frail elderly people, and those with heart or kidney disease should get medical advice earlier - ordinarily within a few hours of persistent symptoms.

Prevention is easier than treatment. Carry a water bottle, drink regularly during hot days and exercise, and eat water-rich foods like cucumbers, berries, and soups. Set reminders on your phone if you forget to drink. When traveling or ill, sip fluids more often than you think you need.

Athletes should plan hydration: drink before a workout, sip during it, and replenish after. For longer sessions, include sodium and small amounts of carbohydrate to speed absorption. Weighing yourself before and after exercise helps estimate how much fluid you lost: each pound lost is roughly 0.5 liters of water - replace accordingly.

Dehydration is common but preventable. Spot the signs early, use simple rehydration strategies, and get help when symptoms worsen. Staying a bit more aware about fluids can save a lot of trouble.

Quick checklist: carry water, drink small amounts every 20-30 minutes during heat or exercise, use ORS for diarrhea, avoid alcohol and excess caffeine when thirsty, check urine color (pale yellow is good), seek medical care for dizziness, fainting, fast heartbeat, or if fluids can't be kept down, and ask your doctor.