Maybe you've been sick recently and have tossed your cookies a few times or had diarrhea.
Or perhaps you are a big caffeine drinker.
Or maybe you just don't drink enough water.
Either one of these situations can cause you to be dehydrated.
Being dehydrated means your body doesn't have as much water and fluids as it needs to function properly.
Since the adult human body is fifty-five to sixty percent water, it's easy to see what an important role water plays.
Signs of dehydration include dry mouth, dizziness, dark-colored urine or none at all, rapid heart rate and low blood pressure.
When you realize you are dehydrated, it's important to do something about it right away.
Good old fashioned water is a great way to begin.
But don't try to do it quickly, or you may induce vomiting and the cycle will begin again.
Also, broth, which contains salt, is another good option.
When you are dehydrated, your body is not just missing the water.
It's missing something called electrolytes.
Electrolytes are important because they are what your cells use to maintain their voltages across cell membranes.
When we exercise, we lose electrolytes through our sweat.
We mainly lose sodium and potassium.
Many people replace these electrolytes with sports drinks.
Sports drinks usually contain potassium or sodium chloride.
They also have a big dose of sugar.
This is the reason sports drinks are not recommended for little children when they are sick.
The high dose of sugar can cause with more diarrhea.
Rather, a Pedialyte type of drink or Popsicle is more recommended by doctors.
Getting your electrolytes back slowly is recommended if you have mild dehydration.
However, if you have moderate to severe dehydration, you will probably need intravenous fluids.
This helps to get a generous amount of fluids back into your body without the vomiting concern.
There are other things you can do to avoid getting dehydrated.
Drinking lots of water every day sounds cliche but it's true.
Your body needs lots of water to perform all its functions.
While doctors vary in their recommendations about the exact amount of water, they do suggest that you drink enough to produce 6.
3 cups of nearly clear urine a day.
This could be eight glasses for one person and eleven for another.
Also eating fruits and vegies with lots of water content helps.
Watermelon, citrus, and cantaloupe, are high in the water content list for fruits.
Cucumber, zucchini, and radish top the vegie category.