BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW; EDITED BY BERNICE BORN
Dehydration can be life threating if severe and untreated.
WiRED International’s module on dehydration and oral rehydration therapy covers the prevention and causes of dehydration, its symptoms, complications, treatment, administration of oral rehydration solution and treatment in the hospital.
Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid (water) and electrolytes (dissolved salts) than it takes in, whether through diarrhea, vomiting, fever, urination or sweating. Normally, a person easily replaces daily lost fluid by drinking water and eating foods such as fruits and vegetables that contain water. However, when someone suffers from more acute dehydration due to conditions such as serious diarrhea, oral rehydration therapy (ORT) should be administered by mouth with an oral rehydration salt (ORS) solution. If a packaged ORS isn’t available, we describe how you can prepare your own solution from simple ingredients found in your kitchen.
Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to dehydration because their bodies are smaller and they have a higher turnover of water and electrolytes. Older adults are also at risk of dehydration because they have a lower volume of water in their bodies and may have conditions and medications that increase their susceptibility.
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Drinking clean water and washing hands well and often play a key role in the prevention of dehydration. An adult needs about eight cups of clean drinking water per day — and more when exercising or when the weather is hot. Coffee and alcohol remove water from the body, so should be avoided or consumed in moderation.
WiRED’s module on dehydration is referenced in a number of other WiRED modules because many illnesses cause people to lose fluids. Understanding dehydration offers a foundation for understanding the dangers of many medical conditions. Learn about dehydration by checking out WiRED’s Dehydration Module.
You can download the module in this story, and all 400+ of WiRED’s health modules, through WiRED’s Health Module Access Program (HealthMAP) by clicking here. This easy-to-use free program will enable you to create your own customized collection of health learning modules. You can learn more about HealthMAP through WiRED's animation.
Quiz Questions from WiRED’s Dehydration and ORT Module