what are the cardiac effects of dehydration? Symptoms and Risks Explained

Explore what are the cardiac effects of dehydration. Learn about symptoms & risks. Stay informed for better heart health.

Children and the elderly are more prone to dehydration. So you have to be more careful in their case.

Symptoms of dehydration

When there is a lack of water in the body, various functions are disrupted. Then the following symptoms are usually seen:

Feeling thirsty
Dark yellow and strong-smelling urine
Dizziness or light-headedness
Feeling tired
Dry eyes, lips, and mouth
Decreased urination—having to urinate less than four times a day.

Some other symptoms may be seen in children:

Dry mouth and tongue
No watery eyes during crying
Drooping eyes
Becoming irritable
High fever
Drowsiness or sleeping more than usual

The symptoms that should be taken to the hospital should be:

Excessive fatigue
Loss of mental balance and confusion
Absence of urination throughout the day
If you can’t turn your head even if you stand,
Breathing fast
Increased or weakened
Pulse
Fainting
Seizures
The body becomes cold with perspiration, a pale face, and intermittent yawning.

A few more warning signs are seen in children under the age of five. For example-

Slouching
No tears in the eyes while crying
The soft part of the top of the head is slightly depressed.
Dry mouth
Dark yellow urine or no urine in the last 12 hours
Cold and clammy hands and feet

Treatment of Dehydration

Dehydration can be treated at home if there are no serious symptoms.

Dehydration treatment is to replace the water and salt loss from the body. If dehydration occurs, plenty of water, oral saline (Orsaline), and fluid intake are recommended.

Liquid foods include boiled water, canned water, rice starch, and soup. Apart from this, fruit juice can be diluted with pure water and consumed. In addition to these foods, you should continue to eat normal food.

If you don’t have packaged food saline at hand, you can make food saline at home.

Severe dehydration may require hospitalization and intravenous saline.

Special precautions for children

After treating dehydration in children, it is important to give the child adequate fluids to prevent rehydration. Some suggestions in this regard are:

Do whatever

Continue to breastfeed the baby. For any reason, formula or formula feeding should be continued. Try to feed the baby more than usual during this time. Try feeding little by little.
Give small amounts of water to small children who are on formula or solid foods.
Continue to feed the baby normal food. It is better to feed little by little rather than give too much food.
Give the child oral saline, such as saline, to compensate for salt, water, and sugar deficiency in the body.

What not to do

Do not dilute the formula and feed it to the baby. The formula should be prepared and fed according to the instructions written on the container or on the accompanying paper.
Avoid giving fruit juices and soft drinks bought from the market to small children. These can increase diarrhea and vomiting problems in children.

Causes of dehydration

Reasons that can easily lead to dehydration include:

Vomiting and diarrhea
Drinking less water than is required
Excessive sweating
Staying in the sun for a long time
Having a long-term condition that causes excessive urination or sweating. For example, diabetes and kidney disease
An increase in body temperature above 38 degrees Celsius or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
Taking medicine to remove water from the body. For example, diuretics
Excessive drinking

Children and elderly people are at higher risk of dehydration.

Home Remedies to Prevent Dehydration

The easiest and most effective way to prevent dehydration is to drink plenty of water or liquid food as soon as you experience any symptoms of dehydration.

If it is difficult to drink a lot of water at once or if you feel nauseated, then you should drink small amounts of water repeatedly. In children, feeding water and liquid foods with a spoon may facilitate swallowing.
Try to drink as much water as possible during the day until the colour of your urine is clear and light yellow, i.e., normal.
Avoid working in extreme heat or strong sunlight for long periods of time. If it is not possible to avoid such work, try to drink as much water as possible during this time. You can take a bottle of water with you while going to work.
Diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive sweating increase the risk of dehydration. In these cases, eat more water and liquid food.
Avoid foods, drinks, and caffeine with excess sugar. Coffee and tea contain caffeine. Avoid drinking alcohol.

There are a few things to keep in mind when caring for people who have no idea how much water they’re drinking throughout the day. For example-

Make sure the person is drinking enough water at each meal.
Eat foods that contain more water. For example, soup, watermelon, and canned water
Presenting drinking water as a social practice, like having tea together.

what are the cardiac effects of dehydration:

In summary, knowing how dehydration affects the heart is essential to preserving good cardiac health. Knowing and mitigating the hazards associated with dehydration, such as impaired blood circulation and heightened cardiovascular strain, enables people to take preventative action to ensure adequate water consumption and heart health. Making hydration a priority is important for supporting cardiovascular health in general as well as for satisfying appetite.