Very young children, the elderly, and people who suffer from chronic illness are at the highest risk of dehydration; however, other groups are also at higher risk.  Children’s bodies are made up of more water than adults, and children’s metabolisms are higher than adults’ metabolisms. Children often experience vomiting and diarrhea as part of childhood illnesses. They may also not be able to understand or communicate when they need fluids.  Older people may not experience thirst sensations as regularly, and their bodies do not conserve water as well. Some older people may also have conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, that make it difficult to communicate their needs to caregivers.  People with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart failure, or kidney disease, are more likely to become dehydrated. People may also take medications that contribute to dehydration (diuretic drugs). Acute illnesses such as influenza can also increase your risk of dehydration. Fever and sore throat make you less likely to want to drink.  Heavy exercisers, especially endurance athletes, are at a higher risk of dehydration because their bodies may lose more water than they are able to consume; however, dehydration is also cumulative, so you can become dehydrated over the course of a few days even with light exercise if you don’t consume enough water. People in very hot climates or who are frequently exposed to prolonged heat are at higher risk. For example, construction workers and other people who work outside all day are at an elevated risk for dehydration. This is especially true if it is also humid in that climate. Sweat does not evaporate well in humid, hot environments, so your body has more trouble cooling itself.  People who live at high altitudes (above 8,200 ft/2,500 m) are at an increased risk for dehydration. Your body may resort to increased urination and rapid breathing to keep your body oxygenated, both of which contribute to dehydration. You can usually treat mild to moderate dehydration at home, with the remedies suggested in this article. Common signs of mild to moderate dehydration include:  Dark yellow or amber urine Infrequent urination Increased thirst Dry mouth, nose, and eyes Overheating Headache Fatigue You should not treat severe dehydration at home with remedies. You will probably need IV hydration to recover from severe dehydration without quick and appropriate rehydration severe damage can be done to organs such as kidney and brain. Seek immediate medical attention if your symptoms include any of the following:  Little or no urination Reduced sweat Very dark urine Dizziness or light-headedness that significantly impairs your ability to stand or move Weakness or shakiness Low blood pressure Fast heart rate Fever Lethargy or confusion Seizure Shock (e.g., pale/clammy skin, chest pain) Children may not be able to communicate all of their symptoms to you. There are several things you can look for to help determine whether your child is dehydrated.  Reduced tears. If your child is crying but not producing tears (or not as many as usual), she is dehydrated.  Capillary refill time. This is a simple test often used by pediatricians to test for dehydration. Press on the child’s fingernail until the nail bed turns white. Have your child hold her hand above the heart. Watch how quickly the nail bed turns pink. If takes more than two seconds, your child may be dehydrated.  Rapid, shallow, or disturbed breathing. If your child is not breathing normally, it could be a sign that she is dehydrated. Severe dehydration in children should be treated immediately by a medical professional. Call your pediatrician or emergency medical services if your child has any of the following symptoms:  Sunken eyes or fontanelle. The fontanelle is the “soft spot” on very young infants’ heads. If it looks sunken, the baby is likely dehydrated.  Skin turgor. Skin turgor is essentially how your skin “snaps back” after being moved. For example, children who are dehydrated will have reduced skin turgor. If you pull up a small fold of skin on the back of your child's hand or on his stomach and it doesn’t return to its original state, the child is dehydrated.  No urine output in eight hours or more Extreme lethargy or loss of consciousness When you are adequately hydrated, your urine should be a pale, transparent yellow. Having too much or too little water in your system will change the color of your urine.  If your urine is very clear or has almost no color, you may be over-hydrated. Overhydration can cause dangerously low levels of sodium, a natural electrolyte your body needs to function.  If your urine is dark yellow or amber, you are probably a little dehydrated and should drink water. If your urine is orange or brown, you are severely dehydrated and need medical attention immediately.
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One-sentence summary -- Know who is most at risk for dehydration. Recognize mild or moderate dehydration. Recognize severe dehydration. Look for symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration in children. Recognize severe dehydration in infants and children. Check your urine.


You might also use a mixing container, like a bowl or plastic container. Keep in mind that acrylics dry in 10 - 30 minutes, with professional grade acrylics often taking longer to dry than student grade. As this is a quick-drying kind of paint, using too much from the tube can result in expensive waste. To avoid this, always start with a small amount, adding more on an as-needed basis. When only thinning your paint slightly, take your brush and wet it in clean water. Too much moisture can leave your acrylic paint looking thin; too little may not have much of an effect at all. To significantly thin your paint, pour water into a container with your paint and use your brush to mix the water and paint together.  Be sure you thoroughly distribute the water throughout your acrylic. Failing to do so can result in clumping or an uneven color. Have paper towel on hand for blotting brushes once you are ready to begin painting. Too much moisture on your brush, or too much remaining moisture after you've cleansed your brush of a previous color, can severely thin your paint, which can lead to drips forming in your painting. You can use one of these substances in place of water for a more controlled thinning of your paint. You can buy ready-to-use thinning/anti-congealing agents at your local art store. These will keep your paint from drying out too fast and thin it in the process. Always add your thinning agent according to its directions, but generally, you should apply your agent in small amounts using your brush. The composition of each of these thinning agents will likely react differently depending on the kind of acrylic paint you are using. It's best if you add your agent little by little, until it has the desired effect. You should have a section of spare canvas or a surface on which you can check the consistency of your paint. As you thin your acrylics, you'll find tint and thickness also change. Take your palette knife and spread paint after adding your thinner to check if the consistency is as desirable as its hue. Gesso is a primer for the painting surface. It makes acrylic and oil paints adhere better to canvases and other surfaces. But you can also use gesso to thin and extend the paint, tinting your paint slightly with the color of the gesso. You can add gesso by stirring it in with your paint using a clean paintbrush. Using gesso with water or another thinning agent may cause your paint to become too thin.
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One-sentence summary --
Apply a small amount of paint to your palette. Add water to your paint. Mix in a thinning or anti-congealing agent. Check the consistency with your palette knife. Add gesso to the paint and water mixture.