Dehydration

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

• Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
• Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
• Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.
• Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
• Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

You can get dehydrated when you lose a lot of fluids because of problems like vomiting or fever.

Symptoms of dehydration can range from mild to severe. For example:

• You may feel tired and edgy (mild dehydration), or you may feel weak, not alert, and not able to think clearly (severe dehydration).
• You may pass less urine than usual (mild dehydration), or you may not be passing urine at all (severe dehydration).

Severe dehydration means:

• Your mouth and eyes may be extremely dry.
• You may pass little or no urine for 12 or more hours.
• You may not feel alert or be able to think clearly.
• You may be too weak or dizzy to stand.
• You may pass out.

Moderate dehydration means:

• You may be a lot more thirsty than usual.
• Your mouth and eyes may be drier than usual.
• You may pass little or no urine for 8 or more hours.
• You may feel dizzy when you stand or sit up.

Mild dehydration means:

• You may be more thirsty than usual.
• You may pass less urine than usual.

Babies can quickly get dehydrated when they lose fluids because of problems like vomiting or fever.

Symptoms of dehydration can range from mild to severe. For example:

• The baby may be fussy or cranky (mild dehydration), or the baby may be very sleepy and hard to wake up (severe dehydration).
• The baby may have a little less urine than usual (mild dehydration), or the baby may not be urinating at all (severe dehydration).

Severe dehydration means:

• The baby may be very sleepy and hard to wake up.
• The baby may have a very dry mouth and very dry eyes (no tears).
• The baby may have no wet diapers in 12 or more hours.

Moderate dehydration means:

• The baby may have no wet diapers in 6 hours.
• The baby may have a dry mouth and dry eyes (fewer tears than usual).

Mild dehydration means:

• The baby may pass a little less urine than usual.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury.

Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

• Passing out (losing consciousness).
• Being very sleepy or hard to wake up.
• Not responding when being touched or talked to.
• Breathing much faster than usual.
• Acting confused. The child may not know where he or she is.

Severe dehydration means:

• The child's mouth and eyes may be extremely dry.
• The child may pass little or no urine for 12 or more hours.
• The child may not seem alert or able to think clearly.
• The child may be too weak or dizzy to stand.
• The child may pass out.

Moderate dehydration means:

• The child may be a lot more thirsty than usual.
• The child's mouth and eyes may be drier than usual.
• The child may pass little or no urine for 8 or more hours.
• The child may feel dizzy when he or she stands or sits up.

Mild dehydration means:

• The child may be more thirsty than usual.
• The child may pass less urine than usual.

A baby that is extremely sick:

• May be limp and floppy like a rag doll.
• May not respond at all to being held, touched, or talked to.
• May be hard to wake up.

A baby that is sick (but not extremely sick):

• May be sleepier than usual.
• May not eat or drink as much as usual.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.

Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

• Passing out (losing consciousness).
• Feeling very dizzy or lightheaded, like you may pass out.
• Feeling very weak or having trouble standing.
• Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can cause dehydration. A few examples are:

• Antihistamines.
• Blood pressure medicines.
• Chemotherapy.
• Diuretics.
• Laxatives.