is drinking too much water bad for you

Is Drinking Too Much Water Bad for You?

While water is an essential fluid for the healthy and normal functioning of the body, overconsumption can cause certain health problems. This article provides information about the same.

Sugar, alcohol, and salt are the obvious bad guys, when it comes to over consumption. But, even over consumption of water can be bad for you. Drinking too much water can cause serious damage to your health. Drinking a large quantity of water in a short span of time can make you feel sick. It is also known as water intoxication, water poisoning, or overhydration. Any food when consumed in excess is bad for you, and water is no exception. Water intake reduces your body's temperature and transports oxygen and other nutrients into your cells. But, it is eventually thrown out from the body in the form of urine and sweat. Your kidneys have a limit, and removing water is much slower than drinking it. Hence, in case of overhydration, the kidneys struggle to remove the excess water, which seeps into your blood and dilutes it. The salt concentration in your blood also starts decreasing. When the level of salt in the blood drops, the cells start absorbing excess water, in order to balance the salt ratio. This leads to swelling of the cells. This unnatural swelling of cells can have unwanted effects on various parts of your body. The heartbeat gets affected, the nervous system is strained and behaves erratically. But the most important body part, i.e. your brain, is adversely affected. The brain which is protected by the skull starts swelling and touches the skull. It can lead to severe headache. Is it Unhealthy to Drink Water Excessively? What starts out as a headache, can turn into a variety of symptoms due to the intracranial pressure, depending on the swelling. Some symptoms are:
  • Change in behavior
  • Throbbing headache
  • Drowsiness
  • Feeling of confusion and irritability
  • Twitching features
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Muscle weakness
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Dulled senses
If the cells expand to a dangerous level, then the blood flow is hindered and pressure develops on the brain stem. Due to this, the central nervous system is compromised. At this point, a person could go into a seizure or coma, and in severe cases it can be fatal. How Can You Drink Too Much Water? Hyperhydration is a rare condition, but some people are more prone to this condition than the others. They include:
  • As athletes sweat heavily, it can lead to loss of vital electrolytes. If these electrolytes are not replenished through drinks and only plain water is consumed, then it can lead to this condition.
  • Infants who are less than a year old, have little body mass and can end up consuming too much water as compared to their body weight.
  • People affected by severe diarrhea and vomiting lose a lot of electrolytes and end up drinking a lot of water. Water does not make up for the lost electrolytes and this can cause overhydration.
  • Ecstasy takers feel more thirsty and consume a lot of water. Moreover, the pill is an anti-diuretic itself, so the water is not flushed out, leading to this condition.
  • Psychogenic polydipsia is a psychiatric condition where the patient is compelled to drink large amounts of water.
  • When a person is fed intravenously, care must be taken in balancing the fluid intake.
Prevention and Treatment The major problem with this condition is lack of correct diagnosis. The symptoms can be easily confused with alcohol or drug intoxication. Once diagnosed, diuretics are prescribed to reduce the water levels, and certain drugs are also given to reduce the swelling. Prevention of overhydration doesn't mean that the person should stop drinking water. Rather, the amount of water and the time at which you drink it is important. Human kidneys can flush out 1 liter of water per hour (approx.), so regulate your water intake accordingly. The water intake depends upon the body weight, activity, and the weather. When exerting oneself a lot in extremely hot whether, or if you are taking certain medicines, your water consumption should increase. Remember that food also provides water. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains replenish your body's water levels. But, if you do not include such foods in your diet, or use a lot of salt or spices, then you should have several glasses of water per day. Water is good for health, but moderation is the key. If you feel unusually thirsty, don't gulp down large quantities, but space out your drinking intervals. Also, avoid drinking water immediately after exercising.

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