Know the Signs of Dehydration
If you’re sick with diarrhea or vomiting, watch carefully for these signs of dehydration:
- thirst
- less frequent urination than normal
- dark-colored urine
- dry skin
- fatigue
- light-headedness
- inability to sweat
By the time these symptoms show up, however, dehydration may be well advanced. At the first sign of diarrhea or vomiting,
begin replacing lost water and the essential salts called electrolytes
If you’re nauseated, keeping fluids down may be difficult. “Try sipping small amounts of water as frequently as possible,” advises Joshua Evans, MD, a physician at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit and an expert on dehydration. Sucking on ice or frozen Popsicles can help increase fluid intake.
Water rehydrates the body.
“But water alone doesn’t replace the essential salts required by the body for fluid balance and other functions,” Evans says. Replacing these essential salts is crucial during a bout of diarrhea or vomiting. Most experts recommend drinking oral rehydration solutions.
Dehydration experts also recommend remove excess clothing and/or seeking shade or an air-conditioned shelter to keep your body cool.