Treatment Of Dehydration

The only effective treatment for dehydration is to replace lost fluids and electrolytes lost. The best approach to treatment of dehydration depends on age, severity of dehydration and its cause.

Treatment of dehydration in sick children

Your doctor can offer specific suggestions for treating dehydration in your child, but some general guidelines include:

Use an oral rehydration solution. Unless your doctor advises you otherwise use an oral rehydration solution such as Pedialyte for infants and children with diarrhea, vomiting or fever. These solutions contain water and salts in specific proportions to replenish both fluids and electrolytes. They are also designed to aid digestion. Oral rehydration products are readily available in most pharmacies and drug stores carry many of their own brands. Begin giving fluids early in the course of an illness instead of waiting until the situation becomes urgent.

In an emergency situation in a pre-formulated solution is not available, you can make your own oral rehydration solution by mixing teaspoon salt 1 / 2, 6 tablespoons sugar and one liter (about 1 quart) of drinking water. Be sure to measure accurately because incorrect amounts can make the solution less effective or even harmful. If possible, have someone check your measurements accurately.

What is the option you choose, be sure to give enough solution. Your doctor may suggest specific amounts, depending on the child's age and dehydration, but the general rule is to give fluids slowly until your child's urine becomes clear in color. When a child is vomiting, try giving small amounts of solution at frequent intervals - try a tablespoon or so every few minutes, for example. If the child is not able to maintain this low, wait 30-60 minutes and then try again. Liquid at room temperature are the best.

Continue breastfeeding. Do not stop breastfeeding when your baby is sick, but it gives your baby an oral rehydration solution in a bottle too. If you give your baby formula, try switching to one that is lactose-free until diarrhea improves - lactose can be difficult to digest for diarrhea, diarrhea do worse. Do not dilute formula more than the instructions advise. Your doctor may also propose replacing a formula for oral rehydration solution given in 12 to 24 hours.

Avoid certain foods and drinks. The best liquid for a sick child is an oral rehydration solution - plain water does not provide essential electrolytes, and although sports drinks replenish electrolytes, they replace those lost through sweat, not by diarrhea or vomiting . Avoid giving your baby milk, soft drinks, caffeinated drinks, fruit juices or gelatin, which does not relieve dehydration, which can aggravate the symptoms.

Treating dehydration in sick adults

Most adults with mild to moderate dehydration from diarrhea, vomiting or fever may improve their drinking more water. Water is the best because other liquids such as fruit juices, soft drinks or coffee, can worsen diarrhea.

Treatment of dehydration in athletes of all ages

For the year related dehydration, cool water is your best bet. Sports drinks containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can also be helpful. No need for salt tablets - too much salt can lead to hypernatremic dehydration, a condition in which the body is not only the scarcity of water, but also carries an excess of sodium.

Treat severe dehydration

Children and adults who are severely dehydrated should be treated by emergency personnel arriving in an ambulance or emergency room hospitals, where they can receive salts and fluids through an intravenous (IV) rather than orally. Intravenous hydration provides the body with water and nutrients more quickly than oral solutions do - something that is essential in life-threatening.

Symptoms Of Dehydration

Mild to moderate dehydration can cause:

Dry, sticky mouth

Sleepiness or tiredness - children tend to be less active than usual

Thirst

Decreased urine output - no wet diapers for three hours for infants and eight hours or more without urination for older children and adolescents

Tears when crying little or no

Dry skin

Headaches

Constipation

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Severe dehydration, emergency, can cause:

Extreme thirst

Extreme irritability or sleepiness in infants and children, irritability and confusion in adults

Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes

Lack of sweat

Little or no urination - urine that is produced is a dark yellow or orange

Sunken eyes

Dry wrinkled skin and loss of elasticity and not to "bounce back" when pinched into a fold

In infants, sunken fontanelles - the weak spots in the top of the head of a baby

Low blood pressure

Palpitation

Rapid breathing

No tears when crying

Fever

In severe cases, delirium or unconsciousness

Unfortunately, thirst is not always a reliable measure of the body's need for water, particularly children and the elderly. A better indicator is the color of your urine: clear or light-colored urine means you are well hydrated, while yellow or dark red color usually signals dehydration.

When to see a doctor

If you are a healthy adult, you can usually treat mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more liquids, like water or sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.).

Get immediate medical attention if you develop severe signs and symptoms such as thirst, no urine, wrinkled skin, dizziness and confusion.

Care of children and the elderly more caution. Call your family doctor immediately if your loved one:

Severe diarrhea, with or without vomiting or fever

He has bloody stools

It 'was a mild diarrhea three days or more

Impossible to reduce fluid

It is very irritable or disoriented and sleepier or less active than usual

There are no signs or symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration

Go to the nearest hospital emergency room or emergency medical attention if you think that adults of one or more children is severely dehydrated. You can help prevent dehydration from becoming severe by carefully monitoring someone who is sick and giving fluids, such as oral rehydration solution (Pedialyte and others) at the first sign of diarrhea, vomiting or fever, and encourage children to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

Causes Of Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when there is enough water to replace what is lost throughout the day. The system literally dries out. Sometimes dehydration occurs for simple reasons: you do not drink enough because you are sick or busy, or because there is no drinking water, when you travel, hiking, or camping.

Other causes of dehydration are:

Diarrhea, vomiting. Severe acute diarrhea - that is, diarrhea that is suddenly and violently - can cause a huge loss of water and electrolytes in a short period of time. If you have vomiting and diarrhea, you lose more fluids and minerals. Children and infants are particularly at risk.

Fever. Generally, the higher the fever, the more dehydrated you become. If you have a fever of more than diarrhea and vomiting, you lose more fluid.

Excessive sweating. You lose water when you sweat. If you do intense physical activity and do not replace the fluids along the way, you can dry. Hot and humid climate increases the amount of sweat and the amount of fluid you lose. But you can also dry in winter, if not replace lost fluids. Preadolescents and adolescents participating in sports may be particularly sensitive, as well as their weight, which is generally lower than in adults, and therefore can not be experienced enough to know the signs of dehydration.

Increased urination. This is most often the result of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or undiagnosed, a disease that affects the way your body uses sugar. This type of diabetes often causes increased thirst and frequent urination. Another type of diabetes, diabetes insipidus, is also characterized by excessive thirst and urination, but in this case the cause is a hormonal disorder that causes the kidneys can not conserve water. Certain medications - diuretics, antihistamines, antihypertensives, and some psychiatric drugs - and alcohol can also lead to dehydration, generally because they make you urinate or sweat more than normal.

Dehydration Overview

Dehydration occurs when you lose more fluid than you take, and the body has enough water and other fluids to carry out normal activities. If you lose fluids, you can get dehydrated.

Common causes of dehydration include intense diarrhea, vomiting, fever or excessive sweating. Do not drink enough water during hot weather or exercise can also cause dehydration. Anyone can become dehydrated, but young children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses are most vulnerable.

You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration requires immediate treatment. The safest approach is to prevent dehydration. Keep an eye on fluid loss in hot weather, illness, or physical activity and drink plenty of fluids to replace what is lost.

Prevention Of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Prevent DVT is much easier to treat after it happened. Some common preventive measures are:

Take medications as prescribed. If you are having surgery, including orthopedic surgery, is likely to be the administration of anticoagulants in the blood while in the hospital.

Check with your doctor regularly to see if your medication or treatment to be changed.

Look at the amount of vitamin K you eat if you are taking anticoagulants. Vitamin K can affect how drugs work, such as warfarin. Foods rich in vitamin K are green vegetables and canola and soybean oil.

Exercise your lower calf muscles if you're sitting in a long time. When possible, stand and walk. If you can not get up to walk, trying to raise and lower your heels while keeping your toes on the floor, then lift your toes when the heel on the floor.

Move. If you've been on bed rest due to surgery or other factors, before moving, it is less likely to develop blood clots.

Make changes in lifestyle. Losing weight, stopping smoking and controlling your blood pressure. Obesity, smoking and high blood pressure all increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

Using compression stockings to help prevent blood clots in the legs, if your doctor suggests them.

Treatment Of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

The goal of treatment deep vein thrombosis is threefold:

Stop blood clotting to reach more

Prevent the clot breaks loose and causes a pulmonary embolism

To reduce your chances of DVT recurrence

Deep vein thrombosis treatment options are:

Anticoagulants. The drugs used to treat deep vein thrombosis include the use of anticoagulants, also sometimes called blood thinners, when possible. These are drugs that reduce blood clotting. Although they did not break down existing clots, they can prevent clots from entering more or reduce your risk of developing additional clots.

Typically, you first get a shot or infusion of heparin blood thinner in a few days. After starting the injections of heparin, your treatment will be followed by another anticoagulant pill form, probably of warfarin (Coumadin). You may need to take anticoagulants for three months or more.

If the heparin or warfarin is prescribed, take medications exactly as your doctor tells you. Both drugs can have serious side effects such as increased risk of bleeding if you take too much. On the other hand, if the dose is too low, are not at increased risk of blood clots more. You will need regular blood tests to see how long it takes for the clotting of blood. Pregnant women should not take warfarin.

Clotbusters. If you have a more serious type of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, or if other medicines do not work, your doctor may try other drugs.

A group of drugs called thrombolytics. These drugs, such as tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), is given through an intravenous (IV) to break up blood clots. These drugs can cause serious bleeding, and is typically used only in life threatening situations.

Filters. If you can not take medication to thin the blood, a filter is inserted into a large vein - the vena cava - the stomach. This filter prevents blood clots that break off hotels in your lungs. The filters are sometimes called umbrellas because they resemble the metal spokes of an umbrella.

Compression stockings. These help prevent swelling associated with deep vein thrombosis. These stockings are worn on the leg of your foot to the extent of your knee. This pressure reduces the chances that your blood pool and clot. You must wear these stockings for at least a year if possible.

Symptoms Of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

In about half of all cases, deep vein thrombosis occurs without symptoms.

When symptoms of DVT occur, they include:

Swelling of the affected leg, including swelling of your ankles and feet.

Leg pain, which may include pain in the ankle and foot. The pain often starts in your calf and can feel like cramping or a Charley horse.

Heat over the entire affected area.

Changes in your skin color, which disappeared, red or blue.

When to seek medical advice

If signs or symptoms of DVT, contact your doctor.

If signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism - a life-threatening complication of deep vein thrombosis - seek medical attention immediately.

Warning signs of a pulmonary embolism include:

Sudden, unexplained shortness of breath

Chest pain or discomfort that worsens when you take a big deep breath or cough

Dizziness or lightheadedness or fainting

Fast

Sweating

Coughing up blood

Feelings of anxiety or nervousness