When paired with a tomato sauce, which usually has about 90 percent water, this meal can pack a hydrating and healthy punch. Sip smoothies.

Between the yogurt and all the fresh fruit, smoothies are a great, and tasty, way to stay hydrated. Not sure what fruits and vegetables to pick? Strawberries, peaches, cucumbers, spinach, and blueberries are all excellent options. Pack your plate with vegetables.

Much like smoothies, salads are a great way to give you a hydrating boost. Next time you whip up a salad, include celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots. Slurp soup. When the craving strikes for a filling and hydrating meal, look no further than broth-based soups or gazpacho.

Blend cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic cloves for this satisfying soup. Freeze your fruit. Feeling nostalgic about the popsicles you used to enjoy as a child? Bring back this classic treat as a delicious way to rehydrate.

Blend a hydrating ingredient like watermelon and fill Popsicle molds and freeze for 1 hour. To hydrate quickly, it's important to drink fluids that contain electrolytes, which are essential minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Electrolytes are required for various bodily processes, including proper nerve and muscle function, maintaining acid-base balance and keeping you hydrated. One way to quickly replenish electrolytes is to use electrolyte powders, which can be easily mixed with water to create a hydrating drink.

These powders often contain a blend of electrolytes, as well as other nutrients like vitamins and minerals, to help promote optimal hydration and recovery. It's important to follow the recommended serving size and not to overdo it, as consuming too many electrolytes can be harmful. While increased thirst is certainly a possible signal that you need to increase your fluid intake, there are many other symptoms of dehydration that may not be as obvious.

Click to learn the symptoms of dehydration. Last updated May 12, Accessed February 26, Last updated February 11 Last updated August 17, Last updated July Accessed May 5, Last updated October Unfortunately, there are no MedExpress centers in this area.

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Plan Your Visit. MedExpress or Emergency Room? You or your child can also use a rehydration solution. It is best to use commercial rehydration solutions. Homemade rehydration solutions are an alternative.

To rehydrate, it is best to use a commercial rehydration solution, such as Gastrolyte, Pedialyte or Pediatric Electrolyte. Commercial rehydration solutions contain the ideal proportion of water, sugar and mineral salts your body needs to recover.

They allow the body to absorb fluids better so that you can keep yourself well hydrated. They also replace mineral salts lost due to diarrhea or vomiting.

These solutions are sold over the counter in pharmacies in a ready-to-drink liquid, freezies and in powder dissolved in water. The premixed forms are recommended.

If you choose powders, be sure to mix them as directed to be safe. If you cannot get a commercial rehydration solution, you can prepare a solution yourself.

Mix the following ingredients:. You must use the exact quantities specified to avoid making your condition worse. Adults who do not show signs of dehydration should take small, frequent sips of rehydration solution and increase the amount as tolerated in case of vomiting.

An adult with diarrhea should drink between and ml of solution after each bowel movement. Call Info-Santé to find out how much solution you should drink and when you should drink it if you:. Also see the Foods to eat when you have gastroenteritis page to find out which food to eat when you have gastroenteritis.

Encourage your child to drink using a cup, bottle, spoon, dropper or syringe. If your child is breastfed or bottle fed, he can continue drinking his usual milk breast milk, commercial formula or whole milk 3. Breastfeed the baby as often as possible, for shorter periods of time, without measuring the amount.

If the baby is bottle fed, offer smaller quantities, more often. To start, offer 5 ml one teaspoon to 15 ml one tablespoon of liquid. If tolerated, slowly and gradually increase up to the amount recommended for their age:. If your child wants to drink more, slowly increase the frequency and quantity until he can drink to quench his thirst.

If your child has significant diarrhea and vomiting, offer a little more liquid to compensate for what was lost. If your child starts vomiting again, give him a to minute break, then start the process over again. After 4 hours of well-tolerated rehydration, gradually start eating again.

For further information on eating when you have gastroenteritis, see Foods to eat when you have gastroenteritis. Children under 2 years old are at greater risk of dehydration.

Rehydration must begin as soon as possible with gastroenteritis to avoid complications. If you are someone at risk of complications , call Info-Santé A nurse will be able to give you advice on rehydration and eating specific to your situation.

Gastroenteritis stomach flu. Foods to eat when you have gastroenteritis. Recognizing the signs of dehydration.

If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Medical News Today only shows you brands and products that we stand behind. Dehydration occurs when more water and fluids leave the body than enter it. Symptoms of dehydration can include darker urine, headaches, lethargy, dizziness, and constipation.

The human body is roughly 75 percent water. Without this water, it cannot survive. Water is found inside cells, within blood vessels, and between cells. A sophisticated water management system keeps our water levels balanced, and our thirst mechanism tells us when we need to increase fluid intake.

Although water is constantly lost throughout the day as we breathe, sweat, urinate, and defecate, we can replenish the water in our body by drinking fluids. The body can also move water around to areas where it is needed most if dehydration begins to occur. Most occurrences of dehydration can be easily reversed by increasing fluid intake, but severe cases of dehydration require immediate medical attention.

Dehydration is easy to remedy but can be serious if left unchecked. The first symptoms of dehydration include thirst, darker urine, and decreased urine production. However, it is important to note that, particularly in older adults, dehydration can occur without thirst. This is why it is important to drink more water when ill, or during hotter weather.

The basic causes of dehydration are not taking in enough water, losing too much water, or a combination of both. Sometimes, it is not possible to consume enough fluids because we are too busy, lack the facilities or strength to drink, or are in an area without potable water while hiking or camping, for example.

Additional causes of dehydration include:. Diarrhea — the most common cause of dehydration and related deaths.

The large intestine absorbs water from food matter, and diarrhea prevents this from happening. The body excretes too much water, leading to dehydration.

Vomiting — leads to a loss of fluids and makes it difficult to replace water by drinking it. Hot and humid weather and vigorous physical activity can further increase fluid loss from sweating.

Similarly, a fever can cause an increase in sweating and may dehydrate the patient, especially if there is also diarrhea and vomiting.

Diabetes — high blood sugar levels cause increased urination and fluid loss. Tips for handling summer heat for people with diabetes. Frequent urination — usually caused by uncontrolled diabetes , but also can be due to alcohol and medications such as diuretics, antihistamines, blood pressure medications, and antipsychotics.

Burns — blood vessels can become damaged, causing fluid to leak into the surrounding tissues. Although dehydration can happen to anyone, some people are at a greater risk. Those at most risk include:. Older adults commonly become dehydrated.

Dehydration in older adults is also common; sometimes this occurs because they drink less water so that they do not need to get up for the toilet as often. There are also changes in the brain meaning that thirst does not always occur.

Low blood volume — less blood produces a drop in blood pressure and a reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching tissues; this can be life threatening.

Kidney problems — including kidney stones , urinary tract infections , and eventually kidney failure. The frequency of bowel movements alone is not the defining feature of diarrhea read more , the use of drugs that increase urine excretion diuretics , profuse sweating for example, during heat waves, particularly with prolonged exertion , and decreased water intake can lead to dehydration.

Dehydration is particularly common among older people because their thirst center may not function as well as that in younger people.

Therefore, some older people may not recognize that they are becoming dehydrated. Certain disorders such as diabetes mellitus Diabetes Mellitus DM Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar glucose levels to be abnormally high.

Symptoms of diabetes may read more , diabetes insipidus Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency Central Diabetes Insipidus Argininevasopressin deficiency central diabetes insipidus is a lack of the hormone vasopressin antidiuretic hormone that causes excessive production of very dilute urine polyuria.

read more , and Addison disease Adrenal Insufficiency In adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal glands do not produce enough adrenal hormones.

Adrenal insufficiency may be caused by a disorder of the adrenal glands, a disorder of the pituitary gland read more can increase the excretion of urine and thereby lead to dehydration. Dehydration occurs when there is significant loss of body water and, to varying amounts, electrolytes read more is also common because the amount of fluid lost during diarrhea or vomiting may represent a larger proportion of their body fluids than in older children and adults.

At first, dehydration stimulates the thirst center of the brain, causing thirst, a powerful motivator for people to drink more fluids.

If water intake does not keep up with water loss, dehydration becomes more severe. Sweating decreases, and less urine is excreted. If dehydration continues, tissues of the body begin to dry out, and cells begin to shrivel and malfunction. In severe dehydration, the sensation of thirst may actually decrease and blood pressure can fall, causing light-headedness or fainting, particularly upon standing a condition called orthostatic hypotension Dizziness or Light-Headedness When Standing Up In some people, particularly older people, blood pressure drops excessively when they sit or stand up a condition called orthostatic or postural hypotension.

Symptoms of faintness, light-headedness If dehydration continues, shock Shock Shock is a life-threatening condition in which blood flow to the organs is low, decreasing delivery of oxygen and thus causing organ damage and sometimes death. Blood pressure is usually low read more and severe damage to internal organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and brain, occur.

Brain cells are particularly susceptible to more severe levels of dehydration. Consequently, confusion is one of the best indicators that dehydration has become severe.

Very severe dehydration can lead to coma and death. Older people are particularly susceptible to dehydration. In older people, common causes of dehydration include. Disorders that make obtaining fluids difficult usually because of restricted mobility, such as after a stroke Overview of Stroke A stroke occurs when an artery to the brain becomes blocked or ruptures, resulting in death of an area of brain tissue due to loss of its blood supply cerebral infarction.

Symptoms occur suddenly Additionally, older people sense thirst more slowly and less intensely than younger people do, so even those who are otherwise well may not drink enough fluids for a variety of reasons, including incontinence Urinary Incontinence in Adults Urinary incontinence is involuntary loss of urine.

read more or the fear of incontinence. Older people have a higher percentage of body fat. Because fat tissue contains less water than lean tissue, the total amount of water in the body tends to decrease with age. In overhydration Overhydration Overhydration is an excess of water in the body.

read more , the body contains too much water. Hydrate for Health has created a range of hydration products that allow anyone to drink with dignity and ease. Due to either physical disabilities, strength and muscle problems, or motor skill issues, many of us find ourselves at greater risk of dehydration in our daily lives.

Having a health condition or disability can make it more difficult to get a drink without help. Whether it is because you are unable to hold, carry or lift drinks, this can mean needing help from another person to have a drink. Good hydration is key to countless health conditions and illnesses and essential for an ordinary healthy life.

Having to ask for help when you need a drink, can be undignified and removes an aspect of independence. Included in the range of hydration systems created by Hydrate for Health are the Hydrant , the WaterDrop and the Sports Hydrant — each unique hydration aid allowing millions of people around the UK to independently stay healthy and hydrated with dignity.

The Hydrant and the WaterDrop have trusted hydration aids that are used in both home and professional healthcare settings, including care homes and the NHS — with sustained hydration proven to shorten the length of time many patients have to stay in hospital.