At-Home Virtual Dehydration Treatment
Dehydration happens when your body loses more fluid than you take in, so it no longer has the water and salts it needs to work normally. It can build up fast with a stomach bug, a fever, or a hot day outdoors, and it leaves you thirsty, drained, and light-headed.
If those symptoms sound familiar, talk to a licensed doctor at Your Doctors Online for online dehydration treatment, usually within minutes.
How to get online dehydration treatment
Connect with a doctor and get your prescription sent to your pharmacy.
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Hi I’m dr. Nicole. How may I help you?
Hi Dr. Nicole, I have a dry mouth and tongue and dizziness. Am I dehydrated?
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Our online doctors can help you with your medical issues and give you prescriptions.
Prescription
- Gastroelectrolyte sachets
- Dissolve a sachet in 200ml water. Take 2 sachets per day.
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How to treat mild dehydration at home
Mild dehydration usually turns around at home once you put back both the water and the salts you have lost, and it works better in small amounts across the day than in one large glass.
- Sip water steadily, or suck on ice cubes if you feel too unwell to drink.
- Add drinks that carry electrolytes, such as broths, sports drinks, or an oral rehydration solution you can buy at a pharmacy or mix at home.
- Do not take salt tablets. They can cause serious complications.
- If diarrhea is behind the fluid loss, ask a doctor what you should be eating while it settles.
Not everyone should handle this alone. Older adults, anyone with a weak immune system, and people living with diabetes or kidney disease are more likely to run into trouble replacing fluids, so it is worth checking with a doctor first.
Severe dehydration is a medical emergency. If you stop urinating, feel confused or very drowsy, notice a racing heartbeat, or cannot keep any fluid down, go to the nearest emergency room instead of waiting for an online visit. At that point most people need hospital treatment with fluid through a vein.
What medications can we prescribe for dehydration?
Dehydration itself is treated with fluid, not with a pill. Care comes down to replacing what you have lost and identifying the cause of the fluid loss, because treating that cause is what keeps it from happening again.
- Oral rehydration salts. These replace water, sodium, and glucose together and do not need a prescription. A doctor can tell you how much to take and how often.
- Anti-nausea medication. When vomiting is the reason nothing stays down, a doctor can review your symptoms and decide whether an anti-nausea medicine such as ondansetron is right for you.
- Treatment for the underlying cause. A fever, a stomach infection, uncontrolled diabetes, or a medicine such as a diuretic can all pull fluid out faster than you can drink it.
Talk to one of our doctors about your symptoms and receive an online doctor prescription sent to your pharmacy when it is medically appropriate.
Fluid given through a vein is kept for severe dehydration and has to be given in person, so an online visit is not the right route if you are that unwell.
What is dehydration?
Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluid as it needs. It comes in three grades, mild, moderate, and severe, based on how much of your body fluid has been lost or never replaced. Mild cases usually turn around at home. Severe dehydration is a life-threatening emergency and belongs in an emergency room.
Our doctors can work out which grade you are dealing with, treat the cause of the fluid loss, and tell you plainly if you need to be seen in person.
What causes dehydration?
You get dehydrated by losing too much fluid, by not drinking enough, or by both at once. The usual reasons are:
- Sweating heavily, for example while exercising in hot weather
- Fever
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Urinating a lot, which happens with uncontrolled diabetes and with medicines such as diuretics
- Not feeling like eating or drinking because you are unwell, nauseated, or have a sore throat or mouth sores
What are the symptoms of dehydration?
Mild to moderate dehydration tends to show up as:
- Thirst
- A dry or sticky mouth
- Passing less urine than usual
- Darker yellow urine
- Dry, cool skin
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
Severe dehydration looks different and needs emergency care:
- Not urinating at all, or urine that is very dark yellow or amber
- Dry, shriveled skin
- Irritability or confusion
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- A rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing
- Sunken eyes
- Listlessness, or loss of consciousness
In babies, toddlers, and young children, also watch for no wet diapers for three hours or more, no tears when crying, a sunken soft spot on the head, and drowsiness.
FAQs About Dehydration
What is the fastest way to cure dehydration?
Dehydration can be cured by drinking fluids enriched in electrolytes, like rehydration oral sachets and fruit juices. If you are experiencing trouble drinking oral fluids due to a health condition, your doctor will prescribe intravenous hydration via injection or drips for faster results. For moderate dehydration, an online prescription for anti-nausea or electrolyte therapy can be sent to your pharmacy.
How do you fix severe dehydration at home?
Severe dehydration can be treated with rehydration electrolyte solutions available over the counter. Other options include taking water sips, fruit juices, broths, and soups to restore your body's balance of salts and electrolytes. However, if your symptoms are severe, it is a medical emergency treated with intravenous fluids administered by your doctor.
How can I get instant hydration?
Water and oral electrolytes are the best way to rehydrate your body instantly. However, if the cause of dehydration is a bacterial infection causing diarrhea or vomiting, treatment alongside rehydration fluids is also crucial for restoring the water balance.
How to treat dehydration overnight?
You can treat dehydration overnight by drinking more rehydration electrolytes, eating fruits and vegetables, and avoiding coffee, tea, sports drinks, and high-fat milk or shakes. Instead, take low-fat or skimmed milk, which is better for rehydration.
How to treat dehydration in infants?
Dehydration can be treated in infants by giving them oral rehydration solutions for the first 12 hours. After 12 hours, give formula milk in small and frequent amounts. This can help restore the water and electrolyte balance in the body, followed by the nutrition from milk in small digestible portions.
What is chronic dehydration treatment?
Chronic dehydration can be treated with intravenous fluids and electrolyte sachets by dissolving them in water. Particular salts in rehydration salt sachets are sodium and potassium in appropriate amounts to restore the balance of salts in your body.
How to treat dehydrated eyes?
Dehydrated eyes can be treated by using artificial tears in the form of eye drops, minimizing screen exposure, avoiding caffeine and smoking, taking breaks if your work requires long-term staring at the screen, using protective eyewear to avoid screen glare, and minimizing air exposure to the eyes to reduce moisture loss.
Why is saline used to treat dehydration instead of water?
To treat dehydration, saline is best to replace the water loss in the body. It is because, during dehydration, the body loses minerals, salts, and water. Therefore, a completely replenished fluid is better than just normal water for the healing of body tissues. To keep the blood pressure in check, these are usually administered intravenously.
What is the treatment for fluid volume deficit?
Doctors usually prescribe oral fluid replacement to treat a fluid volume deficit. This is a cost-effective method, but frequent reminders are required for older patients.
How long does it take to rehydrate?
For rehydration, your body will take more than 2 hours and a lot of fluids and water. It also depends upon the level of dehydration your body is undergoing. Your body can recover in 45 minutes to 1 hour from mild dehydration. In contrast, severe dehydration may take longer to recover from the effects of dehydration. It is crucial to look out for which rehydration salts or fluids you take in to restore the balance of your body. Therefore, consult a doctor for the correct diagnosis and treatment of dehydration.
How to treat dehydration headache?
Taking small sips of water instead of drinking a large amount all at once, getting plenty of rest, avoiding physical activity, taking over-the-counter pain relievers, and applying a cold compress can all help reduce headaches and make you feel better.
What is sepsis dehydration?
Sepsis is a serious immune reaction to infection and can cause dehydration due to sepsis shock. This dehydration can cause kidney failure; doctors recommend intravenous fluids for 24-48 hours. Your doctor may ask you how many times you urinate during sepsis to know the health of your kidneys and have a bigger picture of your condition.
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