While going through cancer medicines, the prescriptions will make the kid experience fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. All these are the main reasons why your child experiences dehydration. And the reason behind that is that they cannot drink enough water or fluids to replace the ones that have been lost.
The following are the common signs of dehydration.
- No tear creation while crying
- Rare urination or limited quantities of dark-shaded urine. Assuming that your kid wears diapers, count the hours between wet diapers.
- Dry skin or mouth
If your child is frequently experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, make sure you follow the below practices,
- Have your kid drink a modest quantity of liquid essentially at regular intervals.
- Offer your kid cold food sources that do not have strong smells
- Give your child food sources that are not difficult to process, like wafers, rice, toast, or soup.
In cases too severe, the child’s healthcare physician will prescribe medications that will decrease the nausea sensations, vomiting, and diarrhea.
What is Dehydration?
Dehydration generally happens when the body does not have enough fluids to compensate for the loss of fluids that have been laminated from the body. Without the essential fluids, it can be difficult for the human body to function efficiently. The water in our body is vital for carrying out tasks such as,
- Transports supplements and oxygen
- Directs internal heat level
- Safeguards organs and tissue, including the eyes, ears, and heart
- Eliminates waste and toxins
- Controls pulse and circulatory strain
- Creates saliva
- Greases up joints
Kids going through cancer medicines are at a high risk of dehydration because of the results of the meds and the treatments they are undergoing.
What are the signs and side effects of lack of Hydration?
The longer your body does not have fluids inside them, the more dehydrated the individual will be. This is the body’s way of alerting you that you need to drink more water or consume liquids. In some cases, you might not feel thirsty but you will still feel dehydrated. Few other possible symptoms of dehydration include,
- Dry mouth, swollen tongue
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Dry skin
- Fatigue or weakness
- Nausea, and vomiting
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Constipation
- Weight loss
Extreme instances of dehydration can sometimes be dangerous and need prompt clinical consideration. It can cause one to experience,
- Extreme thirst
- Sunken eyes
- Fever
- Rapid heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Inability to sweat
- Lack of urination for more than 8 hours
- Disorientation or confusion
- Inability to produce tears
If you experience any new symptoms or feel any changes in the symptoms you experience, talk to your doctor immediately.
What are the causes of Dehydration?
Water is lost from the body because of normal body capabilities through cycles like breathing, perspiring, and going to the restroom. Naturally, people replace the fluids that are lost by eating and drinking but when there arises a condition where the body is unable to stay hydrated, it can be quite difficult to find the motivation to drink a lot of water. The following are the reasons why people get dehydrated,
- Fever – A high fever can cause an absence of hydration. Individuals getting cancer treatment might be in danger of creating diseases that can cause fever.
- Diarrhea, sickness, and regurgitating – Disease therapy, including particular sorts of chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and medical procedure, can cause these secondary effects.
- Constant sickness – Numerous infections – like diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and kidney sickness increase parchedness risk and the requirement for liquids. For instance, individuals with uncontrolled diabetes pee much of the time. A few prescriptions can likewise make an individual pee or sweat more than typical.
- Work out – Regardless of whether you see sweat, you are reasonably perspiring. The more you work out, the more liquid you want to supplant.
- Age – Babies, kids, and more established grown-ups are at more serious risk for parchedness. Little children pass water and electrolytes out of the body at large part of the time. Electrolytes are minerals that assist with controlling the body. As an individual progresses in years, the body gradually loses the capacity to save water. More established grown-ups additionally are less inclined to detect that they are parched.
What is the diagnosis for Dehydration?
Diagnosis for dehydration will be done by the following methods, these are the steps that are involved in the process,
- Your vital bodily functions will be taken into consideration, particularly your circulatory strain and heartbeat rate
- Testing your blood for factors, for instance, your electrolytes and kidney ability
- The level of dehydration will be identified through your urine and also the cause for it. It is done by taking a urine test.
Treatment for Dehydration:
One of the important processes during cancer treatments is palliative care or supportive care. Here the side effects of the treatment are relieved and it is during this phase that the treatment dehydration is also done.
For mild dehydration, the following practices can be followed.
- Rather than taking large amounts at a time, you can try drinking small amounts regularly. Also drinking large amounts can sometimes cause vomiting.
- Make a point to drink a large glass of water prior to heading to sleep and subsequent to awakening. This should mandatorily be the first and last activity of the day.
- In the event that you experience difficulty drinking or eating, you can suck on ice chips or popsicles
- If your lips are cracked and if the medication has caused mouth sores, apply moisturizer in the area. This can make drinking water less painful.
- Consume drinks that have a chivalrous measure of sodium and potassium in them to compensate for the lost minerals if you have severe diarrhea conditions.
- Keep drinks inside your scope, with the goal that you need not want to get up so frequently.
On the off chance that you don’t have vomiting conditions or diarrhea, your primary care physician will suggest an oral rehydration arrangement. This will help the child to be moderately dehydrated at all times.
Sometimes the fluids will be recommended to be administered directly through the veins, called IV. Doing so will cause you to be severely dehydrated.
Prevention of Dehydration:
Practice the following to balance the fluid levels of your body.
Drink lots of water:
Your body naturally functions efficiently when it has the right amounts of water. Therefore the amount of fluid that you need to take will depend on your lifestyle, treatment, and health conditions. Request that your primary care physician guide you on the perfect proportion of water that you want to take and on the off chance that you could do without drinking plain water all through, you can request ideas for drinking enhanced water by adding a cut of lemon. Different liquids that can be dealt with are low-sugar juice, sans caffeine tea, and milk.
Do not take goods that can worsen your dehydration conditions: Stay away from alcohol. Opt for drinks that have very less sugar content or no sugar at all. Water is the most ideal decision than any natural product juice, espresso, or pop.
Ensure that the foods you eat are abundant in water content:
In addition to drinking lots of water to keep you hydrated, you can also consume foods that have high amounts of water content in them. Eating them can help your body replenish the lost fluids. Foods rich in water content are lettuce, watermelon, and broccoli. You can also have popsicles, soup, and yogurt.
Managing side effects:
Talk to your healthcare team about how to manage these symptoms efficiently. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water. Put forth a conscious attempt and routinely hydrate. Drink more before you exercise and when you go out in the warm climate. Try to be proactive when you are not feeling well and put some effort into going and drinking water regularly. This will not only help you stay hydrated but will also speed up the recovery process.
