Article: When you contract food poisoning, or develop any other form of gastroenteritis, the symptoms of the condition can cause dehydration to occur very rapidly. You can become dehydrated within 24 hours if you are unable to retain any liquids and the symptoms continue. The signs of dehydration include fatigue, loss of appetite, flushed skin, poor skin turgor, heat intolerance, light-headedness, dark-colored urine, and a dry cough. Clearly some of the signs can be difficult to determine since many overlap with the symptoms of food poisoning. In some cases, food poisoning can be severe or caused by a toxin so dangerous that professional medical attention is essential. An example of this is B Cereus infection, which secretes a toxin that creates gastrointestinal distress. This commonly occurs after you eat infected fried rice. Watch for warning signs to determine whether you need immediate care for your dehydration. Dark yellow or brownish urine can be a sign of serious dehydration. If you do not urinate at all or produce very little urine of a dark color, seek emergency care for your food poisoning. Dehydration also causes significant weakness and fatigue. If you are so weak you can barely move or if you are so tired you can hardly stay awake despite adequate sleep, you may need medical attention. You should consult a medical professional well before you have symptoms such as extreme weakness and problems sleeping. The doctor will be able to give you fluids to resuscitate you. The only helpful product available over-the-counter is loperamide, which is made to help to manage the diarrhea. Dehydration is a result of frequent vomiting and persistent watery diarrhea. The diarrhea is your body's way of getting rid of the unwanted toxins that are causing the stomach problems. If you can endure it, let your body do its job. However, if the watery diarrhea is continuing, then it is also contributing to your poor hydration status. At some point you have to determine if you want to slow the process by using the loperamide which can help to prevent dehydration. Loperamide should be taken as follows: 4 mg, followed by 2 mg after each loose stool. Chronic use of loperamide is not recommended.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Recognize the signs of dehydration. Monitor the color of your urine. Take over-the-counter products.