hydration
Meaning of hydration: Hydration describes the body's water content and the medical practice of providing fluids to maintain or restore an adequate balance of water.
Definition of hydration
Hydration refers to the amount of water present in the body's tissues and fluids, and to the state of having an adequate amount of water for normal function. Water makes up a large portion of body weight and is essential for regulating temperature, transporting nutrients, and supporting nearly every cellular process.
In clinical use, hydration also refers to the practice of providing fluids, whether by mouth or intravenously, to maintain or restore an adequate fluid balance. This may be done routinely during and after surgery, during an illness involving fluid loss, or when a person is unable to take in enough fluid on their own.
The body's fluid needs vary with factors such as activity level, temperature, and illness, and both inadequate hydration, known as dehydration, and, less commonly, excessive fluid intake can disrupt the normal balance of water and dissolved substances such as sodium and potassium.
How hydration is built
- hydr/o Combining form · Greek water, fluid
- -ion, -ation Suffix · Latin process, action, or its result
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
Intravenous hydration was given to help correct the patient's fluid deficit.
Good to know
Both inadequate fluid intake and excessive fluid intake can disrupt the body's normal balance of water and dissolved salts, so hydration status is assessed in both directions rather than assuming more fluid is always beneficial.
Word origin
Where “hydration” comes from
Formed from Greek hydor, meaning water.