Are you dehydrated? Doctor shares 5 signs people often miss: From sunken eyes to headaches

Thirst is not the only indicator of dehydration. There are other, less obvious signs that mean your body is running low on water intake.

Dehydration is very common during the summer season, but it is important to understand the fact that feeling thirsty is not the only indicator that your body is low on its hydration levels and requires water. In fact, thirst is just one of the earliest signs that your hydration levels may already be dipping, but not the only one. So drinking water when you are thirsty may mean you are already mildly dehydrated, which is why it is important to stay consistently hydrated throughout the day rather than waiting for your body to signal it.

Drink water to prevent dehydration. (Picture credit: Pexels)

Let's evaluate what other signs may demonstrate dehydration so you can act quickly and hydrate yourself on time before you get afflicted by heat-related ailments like heat exhaustion.

We asked Dr Nilesh G More, consultant- internal medicine at P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Mahim, to weigh in and disclose which signs one should closely monitor.

What happens to your body if you do not hydrate on time?

Dehydration occurs when your body lacks sufficient water, and it mostly happens due to profuse sweating during the summer. But first, let's try to understand what will happen in your body if dehydration continues.

Dr More elaborated, “Dehydration can be mild to moderate in the early stages and reversible with oral or intravenous rehydration. However, if warning signs are ignored, it may rapidly progress to severe dehydration with resultant risk of renal shutdown, altered sensorium, delirium, and can become quickly life-threatening, warranting emergency hospitalisation.” Dehydration in hot weather is extremely dangerous! The extent of the impact can be life-threatening as well. If you ignore the early signs of dehydration, it can easily escalate and create major complications.

The hack is to spot the signs of dehydration on time and replenish your lost fluids.

What are the signs of dehydration?

Headache is a common side effect of dehydration. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Aside from thirst, which is the earliest sign, the physician outlined these signs of dehydration:

1. Dryness: Dry lips, sticky or dry mouth with bad breath.
2. Loss of skin turgor (moisture and elasticity): Sunken eyes, failure of skin on the back of the hand to snap back when pinched and released.
3. Dark or amber colored urine: Darker and, more importantly, decreased amount of urine.
4. Headache: Pulsating headache worse on movement with nausea.
5. Brain fog: Difficulty concentrating, remembering, irritability, unusual tiredness and uneasy sluggishness.

For infants and children, there are unique indicators to watch for, especially since they may not be able to verbalise their thirst effectively. Dr More explained, "For infants and children, look out for fewer wet nappies, an irritable child, crying without tears, and a sunken fontanelle (soft spots on top of the head).”

Who is at risk?

Dr More confirmed that infants, toddlers, and children are at higher risk as they are not able to voice the sensation of thirst. Similarly, elderly people are also vulnerable, as their thirst mechanism may be impaired or they may be living alone or unattended.

What increases the risk?

The physician shared a variety of risk factors that are responsible for increasing the likelihood of dehydration, including high ambient temperature, high humidity, lack of ventilation, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and the use of diuretics (medications that increase urine output)

What are the red flags?

Here are some of the red flags, as per the doctor:

• Rapid and thready pulse
• Rapid breathing
• No urine output for more than 8 hours
• Disorientation, confusion

Dr More warned that if these red flags show up, then the afflicted person should be immediately shifted to the emergency room of the nearest hospital or health care facility.

Prevention

The doctor shared a simple strategy for dehydration prevention: “Stay hydrated. Plain water usually suffices. However, when there is excessive sweating, vomiting or diarrhoea, replacement of lost electrolytes with oral or intravenous rehydration salts may be needed.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.