Thinking about matters like how to prevent dehydration may not seem necessary information to have in our heads at any given time. That is until we come face to face with emergency situations that will require us to act swiftly and correctly when immediate access to professional medical help is not available. When my two children shared a pack of cereals one late afternoon, our family didn’t expect that the night of the same day will be the start of probably the longest week we have battling a sickness – acute gastroenteritis and its accompanying risk of dehydration.

acute gastroenteritis

Our Experience

After eating their cereals, my two children happily settled on watching TV while my husband and I prepared our dinner. Before we were able to serve dinner however, my daughter started to complain about nausea and headache.  About thirty minutes after, she vomited. I gave her paracetamol for her headache. After which, she said she wanted to go to sleep and would rather not have dinner so we let her.

Then my son started to complain about stomach ache and suddenly rushed to the bathroom. Apparently he was having a bout of diarrhea. He also refused to have dinner and preferred to sleep as well. Before we let him sleep however, we had him drink one bottle of the popular sports drink  just to replace the lost electrolytes. To say that we were getting agitated at this point is not an exaggeration.

From Night to Morning

In the middle of the night, my son started vomiting successively and with so much force that it scared us. We were interchangeably dealing with his vomiting and diarrhea until dawn then I remembered that we had Oral Rehydration  Solution (ORS)  in our medicine cabinet, We gave our son one by mixing the contents of one packet with a glass of water. That quieted him for about 3 hours before he woke up again vomiting. We again  gave him ORS after he rested. This we did until after noon before his regular doctor was able to see him.

In the mean time, my daughter woke up that same morning apparently feeling much better and insisted on going to school because of a scheduled activity. She however declined to eat her usual breakfast and just opted for room-temperature water and some crackers. I was unsure of her going to school but you know how it is with children when they have exciting activities in school so I relented with much misgivings. I wasn’t surprised anymore to get a note from the school clinic that she complained of stomach ache and nausea. Still I marveled at her determination to finish the day. Upon getting home, she finally gave in to what she must have been trying to hide all along and started vomiting like her brother. We also gave her the ORS before she was seen by the doctor the next day.

The Long Week Ahead

And so it came to be that we had two sick children to take care of. The laboratory and medicine expenses were considerable especially since the doctor requested their stool to be tested for amoeba which turned out negative. They were also having fever, not to mention the continuous vomiting and diarrhea.

The concentration was to keep our children from being hospitalized and this means making sure that they do not get dehydrated. The doctor commended our quick action to give ORS which is actually the oral form of the dextrose administered to hospitalized patients. She also prescribed the intake of OMX capsules which are essentially intended to restore intestinal microbial balance much like the probiotic drinks, bananas and apples, and the continuous use of ORS after every episode of vomiting and loose bowel movement.

causes-of-dehydration

 

Image Source: nursingcrib

 

Complications of Dehydration

Tremendous loss of water and electrolytes within a short period due to continuous vomiting and diarrhea can pose great risk especially to infants and young children, and likewise with adults. Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is much greater than the amount entering it. When not addressed in time, dedyration can result to the following complications:

1. seizures

2. low blood volume shock

3. heat injury

4. swelling of the brain

5. kidney failure

6. coma and death

How to Prevent Dehydration

1. Get prompt home treatment for fever, diarrhea, and vomiting.

2. Drink plenty of water when exercising or engaging in any rigorous activity.

3. Avoid dehydrating drinks like wine, beer, and alcohol.

4. Minimize intake of diuretics like tea, coffee, colas, and other drinks that increase urine output.

5. Use sports drinks to replace lost water due to excessive sweating.

My Say

This post does not in any way encourage people to self-medicate when encountering medical problems like the one experienced by my children. Vomiting and diarrhea are merely symptoms of an underlying cause which can only be determined by a medical professional. It is still important however for us to know what can be done to prevent dehydration before we are able to seek our doctor’s advice. Our timely provision of ORS to our children saved them from dehydration and hospitalization.