Dehydration is an emergency when you have any dizziness or rapid heart beat and you have had no urine output for over 8 hours.
If you have not drank anything or had little to drink in a few days, you're dehydrated and should seek medical attention as dehydration is deadly if it gets severe enough.
When you're severely dehydrated, you need IV fluids to replenish those fluids quickly and prevent organ damage, organ shutdown and death.
You should always go to the emergency room immediately or call 911 for an ambulance if you're dehydrated and experience any dizziness when standing, confusion, fainting, have not urinated for over 8 hours, have dark urine or cannot keep liquids down.
Being severely dehydrated is a life threatening medical emergency, which can lead to organ failure, and require immediate administration of IV fluids and medical attention.
The key symptoms of severe dehydration that mean that you should get to the ER immediately include.
Altered mental status, which includes extreme confusion, hallucinations, lethargy or fainting.
Little to no urine output, like not urinating or only producing a small amount of dark colored urine.
Not able to retain fluids, including persistent vomiting or diarrhea, which prevents you from drinking enough fluids.
Rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing, with a heart rate of over 100 beats per minute or rapid, shallow breathing.
Skin and muscle changes such as skin that doesn't snap back when it's pinched or having poor skin elasticity, or severe muscle cramps.
And or severe lethargy or fever, with a fever of 103 F or higher or extreme fatigue.
If you have moderate dehydration, urgent care can often treat moderate dehydration when you have moderate fatigue, dizziness or symptoms that don't improve with home remedies, but are not life threatening yet.
However going to the ER or calling 911 is necessary in severe cases of dehydration when the symptoms are severe or rapidly progress, like losing consciousness, severe dizziness or confusion.
Dehydration also progresses much more quickly in children and the elderly, which makes immediate care for dehydration in the elderly and children much more crucial if they show any signs like lack of tears, dry mouth, few wet diapers or excessive irritability.
Or if the severe dehydration is also accompanied by hot and dry skin or a lack of sweating or confusion it's also a medical emergency.