Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration
Fatigue, dizziness, and headaches are the top three symptoms seen in people who show up in the emergency room when dehydration is beginning to set in. Other symptoms that come can include:
Signs of Dehydration in Adults
- Feeling thirsty
- Muscle cramps
- Urinating less often than normal
- Dark-colored urine
- Dry skin
- Feeling tired or lethargic
- Fainting
- Confusion
Signs of Dehydration in Children
Children “are going to be much quicker to dehydrate than adults,” says Arielle Levitan, MD, an internal medicine doctor at NorthShore Medical Group in Highland Park, Illinois. That’s because water makes up a higher proportion of total body weight for children compared to adults, making children more susceptible to the effects of not getting enough water.
Sudden lethargy and weakness are possible signs of dehydration in youngsters. “Other clues can be decreased urination,” says Dr. Levitan. “You can always check their hydration by pinching their skin. If it doesn’t go back to its normal place quickly — if it is what we call ‘tented’ — that’s a pretty good sign that someone is dehydrated.” It’s important to note that skin tenting alone is an unreliable measure for dehydration.
Three Stages of Dehydration
If you go beyond 3 to 4 percent of lost fluid volume, then you are getting into the stages of dehydration, which are classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
Mild (5 to 6 percent of body fluid lost) “That is usually when you start to get symptoms that you can’t dodge,” says Dr. Arkun. “You start to get fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. You slow down.”
Moderate (7 to 10 percent) At this stage symptoms can include low blood pressure, dry skin, faster-than-normal pulse, reduced urine output and skin that tents when you pinch it instead of springing back.
Severe (over 10 percent) “If you get over 10 percent, then you can get yourself into trouble,” says Arkun. “You can pass out. Because of some electrolyte abnormalities in severe dehydration people can have seizures and they can die.” Once people get into the 15 to 25 percent range of lost fluid volume, death occurs, he adds.