10 Dangers Of Drinking Too Much Water – How To Treat And Prevent Water Intoxication

Water is essential for your life and well-being . But drinking too much of it (overhydration) can lead to water intoxication. And this can lead to hyponatremia, impaired brain function, and sometimes death. Since about 50% of adults are dehydrated, doctors and dietitians ask us to keep ourselves hydrated. But this is often misconstrued, and people end up drinking more water than their body actually needs. So, how much water should you drink? What are the symptoms of water intoxication and can it be reversed? Give this post a read and find out if you are drinking too much water and the dangers it can cause.
                           SWIPE UP !

SIGNS That You Are Drinking Too Much Water

1. You Always Have A Bottle Of Water With You

Do you always carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go? And then quickly refill it as soon as the water in the bottle is over? You might think that constantly sipping water is helping you, but actually, it is not. It is depleting the electrolytes in your body, leading to further complications.

2. You Are Not Thirsty, But You Still Drink Water

You read somewhere that you should drink 3-4 liters of water per day. And you start forcing yourself to drink this quantity. But did you know that your food also contains water? Yes! So, when you force yourself to drink 3-4 liters of water per day, you are actually drinking way more than your body needs. And this might result in overhydration.

3. You Think Clear Urine Is A Sign Of Good Health

Do you keep drinking water until the color of your urine is clear? Well, the sign of a healthy body is pale yellow urine. Clear urine is an indication that you drank too much water, and there’s an electrolyte balance in your body.

4. You Frequently Urinate In The Day And At Night
Do you find yourself running to the washroom every 30 minutes or so? Do you often wake up in the night to use the washroom? Then, you are overhydrated.

5. You Experience Headaches

Both overhydration and dehydration can cause headache. When you drink too much water, your cells swell up and grow in size. Your brain cells also get affected the same way, and your brain starts to push against the skull. As a result, you experience a constant headache.

6. You Feel Nauseous
Too much water in your body might hinder your kidney function. This means that your kidneys will be tired and stop flushing out water from the body. And this leads to the feeling of nausea and vomiting.

7. Swelling And Discoloration Of The Hands, Feet, And Lips

Drinking too much water can also lead to swelling of the lips, hands, and feet. Since your kidneys are not functioning properly, your body will retain the excess water.  Also, you will gain weight suddenly due to water retention in the body.

8. You Experience Muscle Weakness.

SIDE EFFECTS Of Drinking Too Much Water

1. Causes Hyponatremia

Hyponatremia is a decrease in sodium levels below 136 mmol/liter blood serum. It happens due to quick overhydration.
When sodium levels drop, you start feeling nauseous, disoriented, fatigued, or get a headache. And in severe cases, it might also lead to death.

2. Causes The Cells To Swell Up

When sodium decreases in your body, by the principle of osmosis, water enters the cell through the cell membrane This results in swelling up of the cells. The swelling of the body cells (including the brain) causes serious damage to the muscle tissues, organs, and brain.

3. Causes Hypokalemia

Overhydration can cause hypokalemia or a decrease in potassium ions.
And this can result in severe diarrhea and prolonged sweating.

4.Overburdens The Kidneys

Consuming too much water can put pressure on your kidneys to function constantly. Your kidneys can filter about a liter of fluid per hour from the body. Beyond that, they have to work extra hard to maintain homeostasis.

5. Coma

The brain and visceral organ damage that your body goes through ultimately lead to coma and death. Therefore, you must drink water carefully. Do not drink too much.

Now, the burning question is, how much water is good for you? Here’s what the experts recommend.

How Much WATER Should You Drink Per Day?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the daily fluid intake varies and depends on the person’s age, sex, medical conditions, and daily activity. The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine recommends women to drink 2.7 liters (91 oz) of total water (from all food and beverages), and men to drink a total of 3.7 liters (125 oz). 

Scientists from the Netherlands recommend 2.2 liters of water for women and 3 liters for men per day. So, it is clear that it is not true that everyone should drink 3-4 liters of water every day.