Dehydration is a condition that is caused by an excessive loss of water from the body, thereby causing a rise in sodium levels in the blood. In other words, it is a condition where your fluid intake is much less than what your body needs. You can survive without food for weeks on end, but you cannot survive without water. Therefore, remaining hydrated is critical for your health. In fact, every last cell in your body needs water to function, along with oxygen.
Anybody can become dehydrated at any point in time, if the fluid intake isn’t sufficient. People who are at higher risk of being dehydrated include young children, older adults, infants, athletes, people suffering from chronic diseases, and those living at places of high altitudes.
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Causes of dehydration
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Some of the most common causes of dehydration include:
- Excessive sweating
- Excessive urination
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Exercising in extremely hot weather conditions
- High fever
Symptoms of dehydration
Depending on the severity of dehydration, the symptoms may vary. For mild to moderate dehydration cases, the symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Thirst
- Decreased urination
- Dry skin
- Dry mouth
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Lightheadedness
- Constipation
Symptoms of severe or chronic dehydration include:
- Little to no urination
- Extreme thirst
- Extremely dry mouth
- Extremely dry skin, with lack of elasticity
- Low blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Rapid breathing
- Sunken eyes
- Delirium
- Unconsciousness, in extremely severe cases
NOTE: If dehydration is not addressed in a timely manner, it could lead to several health complications. For severe dehydration, professional medical help should be sought immediately, while mild dehydration can be treated at home.
Home remedies for dehydration
There are plenty of effective home remedies for dehydration – mild to moderate cases – that work superbly. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Increase your water intake
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The very first step in combating dehydration is to increase your water intake. In adults especially, water should be enough to rehydrate your body. Even if you don’t feel particularly thirsty, you should drink water at regular intervals.
Remedies
- Through the day, sip small amounts of water and other clear fluids like orange juice or any other fruit juice.
- Sip on drinks that contain electrolytes and carbohydrates.
- Suck on ice chips or frozen bottle water at regular intervals.
- Suck on fruit juice popsicles.
2. Baking soda and salt
When you’re dehydrated, your body loses it normal pH balance. It needs to be restored, and that’s where baking soda comes into play. This remedy of baking soda and salt is your very own oral rehydration solution, which helps combat dehydration quite effectively.
Remedy
- Take 1 liter of water and boil it. Now, cool it, and add half a teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Dissolve them all and sip this through the day to rehydrate your body.
3. Bananas
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To treat mild dehydration, bananas are just ideal. When your body is dehydrated, it tends to lose essential minerals like potassium from the body. And bananas, which are rich in potassium, help restore the lost mineral. Plus, potassium is essential in restoring the normal functioning of cramped muscles as well, which is one of the common symptoms of dehydration.
Remedies
- Eat 2 or 3 ripe bananas through the day.
- If you’d rather drink it, make banana smoothies mixed with milk, and drink it.
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4. Barley water
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Barley contains nutrients which help restore the lost minerals due to dehydration. Plus, it is easily digestible, while also helping keep the body cool. It’s an excellent home remedy for dehydration.
Remedy
- Soak 1 cup of barley in water for about 20 – 30 minutes. Now, mix this soaked barley in 4 cups of water. Bring this to a boil, following which you need to simmer it for about 45 – 60 minutes. Let it cool down completely, and then strain it. To this strained solution, add a bit of honey and lemon juice to make it more palatable. Sip this barley water at frequent intervals to combat dehydration.
5. Broths and soups
Broths and soups can help rehydrate your body by helping replenish lost fluid and minerals. Adding water-rich vegetables like tomato, zucchini, celery, and radish to these helps enhance its hydrating power.
Remedy
- Eat a bowl of chicken soup or broth. Add vegetables to this, or eat a water-rich vegetables-only soup or broth for best results.
6. Buttermilk
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Buttermilk is a lesser known natural remedy for dehydration. In fact, it helps replenish many minerals that are lost due to dehydration caused by excessive sweating.
Remedies
- Sip on buttermilk through the day at frequent intervals to keep your body hydrated.
- Mix half a teaspoon of dried ginger in a glass of buttermilk and sip it through the day for best results.
7. Coconut water
Coconut water is an excellent home remedy for mild to moderate dehydration. Coconut water is rich in natural electrolytes that help rehydrate your body. Plus, it is a low-calorie, low-sugar natural drink, that is amazing for your skin as well.
Remedy
- Sip on coconut water through the day, to help rehydrate your body. Since coconut water is absorbed quite rapidly by the cells, quick improvements are seen.
8. Eating water-rich fruits
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Consuming fruits that have high amounts of water content in them is another way to combat dehydration. These fruits help replenish fluid levels in your body naturally.
Remedies
- Fruits like watermelon, cantaloupes, strawberries, bananas are a few of them you can consume.
- If you don’t like eating them, you can always make fresh juices/smoothies out of them and drink that instead.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt and sugar to these juices and smoothies.
9. Eating water-rich vegetables
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Vegetables rich in water content work best in combating dehydration too. Consuming fresh water-rich vegetables helps restore the lost water and mineral levels in the body, helping regularize the body fluid levels.
Remedy
- Prepare a salad from water-rich vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, cucumber, and zucchini, and eat it.
10. Epsom salt bath
Taking an Epsom salt bath is a little known home remedy for dehydration. When you’re suffering from mild to moderate dehydration, this helps soothe muscle soreness and fatigue. This is mainly thanks to the high levels of magnesium that this salt contains.
Remedy
- Add Epsom salts to a tub of warm water and soak in it for at least 15 minutes to ease the cramps and soreness caused due to dehydration.
11. Homemade ORS (oral rehydration solution)
Replenish all the lost fluids and minerals with this homemade ORS. Replacing these fluids and minerals quickly is how to combat dehydration effectively.
Remedies
- Take 4 cups of water, and add half a teaspoon of salt and 6 teaspoons of sugar. Stir and dissolve the salt and sugar. Sip this homemade ORS through the day till you recover completely.
Pro tip: You can purchase a packet of WHO approved ORS packet too.
12. Lemon water
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Lemon water is a known remedy for dehydration, that works wonders. Not only will this drink soothe and help rehydrate your body, it also helps keep your energy levels replenished.
Remedy
- Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a glass of water, and add 1 teaspoon of raw honey, a pinch of salt, and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. Sip this drink at regular intervals to effectively combat dehydration.
13. Rice gruel
Rice gruel is a thick porridge made from rice, which is mostly popular in South Asian countries. This is an excellent home remedy for people suffering from dehydration caused by diarrhea.
Remedy
- Prepare rice gruel with a pinch of salt, and consume it to combat dehydration. The salt in it helps normalize the electrolyte levels in the body. Plus, the rice gruel itself helps restore depleted energy levels caused due to dehydration.
14. Warm vinegar bath
Dehydration causes muscle aches and cramps, which can be very uncomfortable and unpleasant. To combat that, a warm vinegar bath is effective.
Remedy
- To a bucket of warm water, add 8 ounces of apple cider vinegar and take a bath in it. This can be extremely soothing, which helps relax your cramped muscles.
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15. Yogurt
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Yogurt, again, is a lesser known remedy for dehydration caused due to vomiting and/or diarrhea. Yogurt contains probiotics, plus it’s a good source of electrolytes. Not only will it help soothe the stomach, it also helps replenish the minerals and electrolytes lost.
Remedies
- Eating a cup of plain yogurt a few times a day is known to be effective against dehydration.
- Eat yogurt mixed with plain boiled rice and a bit of salt to combat dehydration.
These are all the most effective home remedies for dehydration – mild to moderate cases only. Remember, if the dehydration is severe, you need to seek professional medical help as soon as possible. Stay hydrated, stay healthy!
Featured image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
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