Dehydration is an excessive loss of water from the body. In diabetes patients, high glucose (blood sugar) can cause or contribute to dehydration. It can also occur when body fluid is lost through frequent urination, sweating, diarrhea or vomiting.

Loss of fluid can cause a variety of problems for patients because water is critical to survival, in that it:

• Forms the basis for all body fluids, including the blood and digestive juices
  
  
• Aids in the transportation and absorption of nutrients
  
  
• Helps eliminate wastes

The major symptom of dehydration is thirst, but fatigue can set in even with mild dehydration. More severe forms of dehydration can lead to shock and become life-threatening. With diabetes, dehydration can be involved in serious conditions including ketoacidosis and coma.