Dehydration...KNOW THE SIGNS!!
I put this up last year...Repost...Sip sip sip post op!!
Just a repeat warning I like to give out. Dehydration is the #1 reason post WLS people reenter the hospital...Know the signs and be careful out there...
Dehydration in Adults Overview
Dehydration is a condition that occurs when the loss of body fluids, mostly water, exceeds the amount that is taken in. With dehydration, more water is moving out of our cells and then out of our bodies than the amount of water we take in through drinking.
We lose water every day in the form of water vapor in the breath we exhale and as water in our sweat, urine, and stool. Along with the water, small amounts of salts are also lost.
When we lose too much water, our bodies may become out of balance or dehydrated. Severe dehydration can lead to death.
Causes of Dehydration in Adults
Many conditions may cause rapid and continued fluid losses and lead to dehydration:
- Fever, heat exposure, and too much exercise
- Vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination due to infection
- Diseases such as diabetes
- The inability to seek appropriate water and food (as in the case of an infant or disabled person)
- An impaired ability to drink (for instance someone in a coma or on a respirator or a sick infant who cannot suck on a bottle)
- No access to safe drinking water
- Significant injuries to skin, such as burns or mouth sores, or severe skin diseases or infections (water is lost through the damaged skin)
Symptoms of Dehydration in Adults
The signs and symptoms of dehydration range from minor to severe and include:
- Increased thirst
- Dry mouth and swollen tongue
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Palpitations (feeling that the heart is jumping or pounding)
- Confusion
- Sluggishness fainting
- Fainting
- Inability to sweat
- Decreased urine output
Urine color may indicate dehydration. If urine is concentrated and deeply yellow or amber, you may be dehydrated.
When to Seek Medical Care
Call your doctor if the dehydrated person experiences any of the following:
- Increased or constant vomiting for more than a day
- Fever over 101°F
- Diarrhea for more than 2 days
- Weight loss
- Decreased urine production
- Confusion
- Weakness
cabin111
on 5/11/12 12:19 pm RNY on 10/09/06 with Antonio Coirin Also another reminder...Ketosis. Bye the way I am not a doctor...Seek their advice on this stuff...Not the standard "well I read it on OH so it must be true". When you are in rapid weightloss your body will probably go into ketosis. You might want to look that up. Your urine will be dark yellow, you will have a lighter fluid taste in your mouth ( Acetone). Don't confuse ketosis with dehydration. Ketosis is normal for rapid weightloss...Not good, but normal. Dehydration is not... Top Reply More
poet_kelly
on 5/11/12 12:25 pm - OH RNY on 11/04/08 with Lisa Martin Hawver Good info.
Don't forget the pinch test. The pinch test is when you gently pinch up a bit of skin on the back of your arm. If you're not dehydrated, it snaps back to its normal position as soon as you let go. If you're dehydrated, it'll stay in that pinched up shape for a couple seconds. It's called "skin tenting."
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
A couple more things I'd like to add on dehydration. Be sure the first few months you get in some sodium and potassium. Add a small amount of salt to your diet. Don't go hog wild...We know it's not good for you. But, if you have gone months without any salt in your diet at all, using fresh foods, and if you are exercising, you may need "some" salt. As you transistion into a more normal diet with processed foods, you will have the added salt and it should not be an issue.
The other thing is potassium. Many of the post op diets (RNY) may not take into account the need for potassium. Milk and yogurt have some. Here are some potassium rich foods for new post op people who may be concerned with dumping: spinach, broccoli, peas, avocado, kidney and lima beans (Wendy's Chili). Later post op (say 6-12 months) you might want to try; bananas...or even sooner, oranges, prunes, raisins, tomatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, sweet potatoes. Just some ideas...Keeping that old sodium/potassium exchange going...From your old biology-physiology classes.
