If you're dehydrated, your first reaction might be to reach for a tall glass of cold water. As simple as that might seem, drinking a lot of water is not the best way to treat dehydration. The best thing you can do is to prevent it. Drink before you feel thirsty, at regular intervals throughout the day. This is especially true if you are spending time in a hot place and consistently sweating.
Mild Dehydration
Mild dehydration can happen after a bout of vomiting or diarrhea. It can also occur if you've been sweating a lot and not drinking for a long period. You can treat mild dehydration at home by drinking fluids until the symptoms disappear. A clear sign of dehydration is dark urine. Once the urine returns to a light yellow color, this indicates that you have properly hydrated your body.
Moderate to Severe Dehydration
Severe dehydration is a medical emergency and requires a visit to the hospital. Symptoms of severe dehydration include extreme thirst, lack of sweating -- even in extreme heat -- lack of urination, low blood pressure, rapid breathing and rapid heartbeat. In the case of severe dehydration, don't drink water; seek medical help instead.
Water
If you're mildly or moderately dehydrated but feel fine otherwise, try drinking small quantities of water at frequent intervals. This is better than drinking several glasses of water at once, which can cause nausea or worsen the feeling of being sick. Water has no electrolytes, so it's not very good for rehydration. Instead, MayoClinic.com recommends mixing 1 liter of water with 6 tsp. of sugar and ½ tsp. of salt. Drink half a glass or as much as you can stomach without vomiting. Repeat every 30 minutes.
Solutions
Rehydration drinks are better than water. If you have access to a pharmacy, buy an oral rehydration solution or an electrolyte solution and mix it with water. These solutions contain the appropriate mix of potassium, other minerals, sugar and salt needed to fight dehydration. If you don't have diarrhea or vomiting, try diluted juice or a sports drink. These contain sugar and minerals that will help fight dehydration better than water alone. If you're just drinking water, the National Health Service recommends eating a couple of chips or other salty snack to help replace lost salt.
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