A lot of people don’t get the requires amount of fluids for their body daily and this makes it strange to hear that some people actually drink too much water.
How is it possible to drink too much water?
Dietitians and health practitioners constantly remind us that drinking enough water is absolutely vital in order for our bodies to function properly. And it is—unless you drink too much of it.
While most people look out for the signs of dehydration, overhydration is equally as dangerous. Drinking too much can result in water intoxication, also known as hyponatremia, causing the inside of cells to flood due to abnormally low sodium levels in your bloodstream.
In severe cases, water intoxication can lead to debilitating health problems such as seizures, coma, and even death. Here is how you can know that you are drinking too much.
You Always Have A Water Bottle In Hand
If you carry around your bottle all day and immediately refill it when it depletes, you may be drinking too much water.
Constant drinking can result in low sodium levels in your blood, which can cause all of the cells in your body to swell. This can become particularly dangerous when your brain starts to swell. The human brain can only swell about 8 to 10 percent before it reaches the skull and it pushes the brain stem out.
You Experience Nausea And Vomiting
The symptoms of overhydration are quite similar to those of dehydration. When you drink too much water, your kidneys become unable to get rid of the excess liquid and water starts to collect in the body.
This can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
You Have Throbbing Headaches
Headaches are both a sign of overhydration and dehydration, similar to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. When you drink too much water, the salt concentration in your blood reduces, causing the cells in the organs throughout your body to swell.
When your salt concentration is low, your cells grow. When you drink too much fluids, your brain actually grows in size and presses against the skull.
The added pressure can cause a throbbing headache and more serious health problems such as brain impairment and trouble breathing.
You Drink Even When You’re Not Thirsty
The best way to know if your body really needs more water is to be consciously aware of whether or not you actually feel thirsty. The human body is programmed to fight against dehydration with built-in mechanisms to protect against it.
One of these mechanisms that all animals have is thirst. Thirst is the individual monitor that lets humans know if they need more. The more water you need, the thirstier you get.
Your Urine Is Always Clear
If you’re drinking a healthy amount of water, the colour of your urine should be straw to transparent yellow. While most people believe clear urine is the healthiest sign of hydration, however, having urine with no pigmentation at all may be a sign that you’re drinking too much water.
For a lot of people, eight to ten glasses of water a day is considered a normal amount. This suggestion however varies depending on an individual’s height, weight, and exercise patterns.
You Urinate Frequently
One clear sign that you are taking too much water is if you find yourself often waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
Most people urinate between six and eight times a day. If you find yourself urinating more than ten times a day, you may be drinking more water than your body needs.
To prevent nighttime urination, have your last glass of water a couple hours before bed to give your kidneys time to filter the water through your body.
