LUCKNOW, June 29 -- The daily footfall of patients suffering from dehydration in the general medicine outpatient department (OPD) of the Syama Prasad Mukherjee (Civil) Hospital has gone up by 20% in the last 15 days. While the usual daily count is around 500, it has now become around 625. Dr Kuldeep Verma, consultant physician of Civil Hospital, said that excessive sweating in hot weather, diarrhoea, vomiting, or fever, inadequate fluid intake, medications like diuretics, underlying medical conditions, like diabetes or kidney disease are some of the major causes of dehydration. It is essential to know the causes, symptoms, and prevention methods to avoid and overcome dehydration. Some major symptoms are dizziness or lightheadedness, dry mouth, fatigue or weakness, dark urine or decreased urine output, headaches or muscle cramps, rapid heartbeat or palpitations, he added. Some serious complications due to dehydration include urinary tract infections (UTIs), as the bacteria can multiply in concentrated urine. Severe dehydration can lead to kidney damage or exacerbate existing kidney conditions; it can increase the risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke, blurred vision, weakness, he added. Dr Verma further stated that only water cannot give complete recovery from dehydration, it can just recover the deficiency of water in the body, but chemicals like sodium, potassium and magnesium are very helpful to recover from muscle cramps, confused state, and blurred vision, which occurs in the case of severe dehydration....