Call 911 right away if:
- Confusion, extreme sleepiness, fainting, or being hard to wake
- No urine at all for many hours, along with a fast heartbeat or fast breathing
- A baby or child is very sleepy or limp, has sunken eyes or a sunken soft spot, or has no wet diapers and can’t keep fluids down
Signs of dehydration
- Adults: strong thirst, peeing less often, dark yellow urine, tiredness, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, and confusion.
- Babies and young children: fewer wet diapers (none for 3 hours), dry mouth, no tears when crying, sunken eyes or cheeks, a sunken soft spot on top of a baby’s head, crankiness, or low energy.
Older adults may not feel thirsty even when they need fluids.
What to do
- Sip fluids often. Small sips every few minutes are easier to keep down than big gulps.
- Use an oral rehydration solution (sold at drugstores) for vomiting or diarrhea, especially for children. It has the right mix of water, salt, and sugar. Sports drinks can help adults after heavy sweating.
- Keep breastfeeding or formula feeding babies. Ask your doctor whether to add an oral rehydration solution.
- Rest in a cool place if you’ve been in the heat.
- Eat when you feel ready. Foods with lots of water, like soups and fruit, help too.
Avoid
- Avoid alcohol and lots of caffeine while you recover.
- Avoid giving children undiluted fruit juice or soda when they have diarrhea. It can make diarrhea worse.
Prevention
Drink more fluids when it’s hot, when you’re active, or when you’re sick with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. Pale yellow urine is a good sign you’re drinking enough.
See a doctor or go to urgent care if:
- You can’t keep fluids down, or vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than a day or two
- A baby or young child has no wet diaper for 3 hours, a dry mouth, or no tears when crying
- There is blood in the stool or vomit, or black stools
- You feel dizzy when you stand, or your urine is very dark