Dehydration in Adults: Symptoms, Causes & When to Seek Help

Dehydration is a loss of fluids from your body. It has many causes--heat, overexertion and excessive urination, to name a few. You can also become dehydrated by vomiting or suffering from diarrhea; indeed, dehydration is one of the more serious concerns for condition such as food poisoning, which involves a lot of vomiting or diarrhea. Specific symptoms can clue you in to dehydration in a given adult.

Dry Mouth

• Mild dehydration can be spotted by a dry or sticky feeling in the mouth.

Lack of Energy

• Dehydrated patients tend to feel more tired than usual and may be excessively sleepy.

Fluid Retention

• People suffering from dehydration tend to urinate much less. When they do, the urine will be a darker shade of yellow than normal.

Headaches

• Dehydration is sometimes accompanied by headaches or a sense of dizziness. If you're exercising and feel dizzy, take some water or Gatorade immediately.

Rapid Heartbeat

• In cases of severe dehydration, your blood pressure may drop and your heart rate will increase a great deal. In such cases, you should seek medical help immediately.