Dehydration

Dehydration can be a very serious issue if not taken care of in a timely fashion. Your body is made up of about 2/3 water. When your body loses a majority of this water whether it be through exercise, sickness, sweat or other activities, it begins to become dehydrated.

When your body becomes dehydrated it becomes unable to work and process things as efficiently, and if the dehydration is bad enough could cause your body to shut down and eventually lead to death(extreme case).

The best way to take care of dehydration is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Your body needs roughly about a quart/liter of water a day. This however will increase if you participate in any kind of exercise, if your sick and have diarrhea/vomiting, or if you sweat excessively throughout the day.

Some of the symptoms to watch out for that indicate dehydration include:
-dry mouth
-rapid loss in weight(15-20 lbs in 2-3 days)
-increased thirst
-weakness/ lightheadedness
-darkening of the urine

These symptoms can be very good indications that your body has lost a lot of water and is in need of water. If you find that you are quickly becoming or have already become dehydrated, and it is bad enough you may need to find your way to a hospital to receive intravenous hydration. However it is not too bad or you are out in the wilderness there is a drink that was invented to help maximize water retention by the body. To make this drink use the following:

3/4 tsp of table salt
1tsp baking powder
4 tbsp sugar
1cup orange juice
1liter/quart of water

This solution will help to restore your body with the much needed water it is craving. If you are sick and are vomiting this solution has been known to be kept down in the face of nausea and vomiting.