What is dehydration?

Dehydration is when your body loses too much water and electrolytes, making it hard to work properly.

Imagine you're playing outside on a hot day, and you forget to drink anything. Your body starts to feel like a dry sponge, you’re getting all the fun out of the game, but not enough water is coming in. That’s dehydration!

Your body needs water to keep moving, it helps your blood flow, your muscles work, and even your brain think clearly. When you sweat or pee a lot, especially without drinking enough, your body loses both water and important helpers called electrolytes, like salt.

Think of electrolytes as the little helpers that make sure everything stays balanced. If they’re gone, it’s like a seesaw, one side goes up, and the other drops down.

You might feel thirsty, tired, or even dizzy. Your mouth could feel dry, and your skin might not bounce back as quickly when you pinch it. It's like when you forget to water your plants, they wilt, just like you do when you're dehydrated!