How do you know if you're dehydrated?

Question

How do you know if you're dehydrated?

Answer 1

The body's initial responses to dehydration are:

- thirst to increase water intake along with

- decreased urine output to try to conserve water. The urine will become concentrated and more yellow in color.

As the level of water loss increases, more symptoms can become apparent. The following are further signs and symptoms of dehydration:

- dry mouth

- the eyes stop making tears

- sweating may stop

- muscle cramps

- nausea and vomiting

- lightheadedness (especially when standing).

The body tries to maintain cardiac output (the amount of blood that is pumped by the heart to the body); and if the amount of fluid in the intravascular space is decreased, the body has to increase the heart rate, which causes blood vessels to constrict to maintain blood pressure. This coping mechanism begins to fail as the level of dehydration increases.

With severe dehydration, confusion and weakness will occur as the brain and other body organs receive less blood. Finally, coma and organ failure will occur if the dehydration remains untreated.

Answer 2

Well, if u want a drink, i pretty sure u are dehydrated.

Answer 3

well there are a number of symptoms to knoing this you can have headaches, dizziness dry skin if your doing a physical activity and you are NOT sweating,being unusualy thirsty,loss of appitite,fatiuge ect. things like that hoped this helped

Answer 4

WHEN YOU FEEL THIRSTY

Answer 5

Your hands could be blochy. (White dots on red hands) And your urine is yellow. You could have a headache too. (If you are properly hydrated you should have clear to pale yellow urine, and you should have fairly clear skin.)  

Answer 6

wellll im a football player and this is what my trainer told me cramps in the muscles dizzyness blurred vision stomach sickness and fatigue lol so yeah inorder to get rid of dehydration obviously drink more water

but also drink smart mix water and gatorade also (this helped me alot) drink as much water as u can within 2 hours before bed  trust it helps lol

hope this helps :)

Answer 7

You're dehydrated before you can actually feel it. when you can feel that you're dehydrated you're severely dehydrated. I'm not even sure if there is a way you can tell that you're a little dehydrated. Severe dehydration.. you feel lethargic and awful! Nausea may also kick in.

Answer 8

well some easy ways to tell is if your throat or mouth is really dry. i often get headaches when im dehydrated. or feeling dizzy...if you are extremely dehydrated when you pinch your skin it should stay that way for a couple seconds. if your thirsty. dry skin...just basically if you arent feeling up to snuff drink some water...thats ur best bet

Answer 9

You usually get dizzy at first and have a empty feeling in your stomach.  The worse signs are headache and throwing up.  

Answer 10

John G's answer is the most accurate.  If you think you're thirsty...it's too late; you're already dehydrated.  The other answers described the onset of heat exhaustion.

My wife & I live in central Colorado, elev. 10092'.  Dehydration can occur before you know it.  As a general rule of thumb, one must drink 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of body weight...just to "break even."  Don't laugh, but my wife created a little mnemonic poem on dehydration.  Here goes:

If your "winky" is dark and stinky

Then it's time to take a drinky.

But if it is almost whitey (clear)

then you are all-righty.

Answer 11

headaches.

your pee will be orange/dark yellow.

your urine should be clear or a faint yellow.

dizzyness

Answer 12

headache, nausea etc

Answer 13

Headache

mild dizziness

no longer perspiring

very dark urine

Good luck

Answer 14

Hello, I hope the following helps

Mild to moderate dehydration is likely to cause:

-Dry, sticky mouth

-Sleepiness or tiredness — children are likely to be less active than usual

-Thirst

-Decreased urine output — fewer than six wet diapers a day for infants and eight hours or more without urination for older children and teens

-Few or no tears when crying

-Muscle weakness

-Headache

-Dizziness or lightheadedness

Severe dehydration, a medical emergency, can cause:

-Extreme thirst

-Extreme fussiness or sleepiness in infants and children; irritability and confusion in adults

-Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes

-Lack of sweating

-Little or no urination — any urine that is produced will be dark yellow or amber

-Sunken eyes

-Shriveled and dry skin that lacks elasticity and doesn't "bounce back" when pinched into a fold

In infants, sunken fontanels — the soft spots on the top of a baby's head

-Low blood pressure

-Rapid heartbeat

-Fever

-In the most serious cases, delirium or unconsciousness

Unfortunately, thirst isn't always a reliable gauge of the body's need for water, especially in children and older adults. A better barometer is the color of your urine: clear or light-colored urine means you're well hydrated, whereas a dark yellow or amber color usually signals dehydration.

Answer 15

Headaches

Nausea

Dizzyness

Vomiting

Darker Urine

You may not feel thirsty, but you could be dehydrated anyway. Drink water !

Answer 16

You feel your body being "heaty".  You would feel weak.  And you do not urinate.  When you drink water, you do not urinate until you have enough water in your body.

Answer 17

If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

Actually, lots of folks walk around in a dehydrated state and don't even know it.  Drinking soda, coffee, etc. actually makes it worse because they act as diuretics.

Symptoms of dehydration are:

Headache

Fatique

Unclear thinking

Dizziness

Nasea

Tiredness

Basically, if you feel anything at all that is uncomfortable, try drinking a glass or two of water before doing anything else about it.  Since I started doing that I've found that my afternoon fatigue and most of my general aches and pains can be resolved with water.