Side Effects of Overhydration – It turns out that drinking too much water is also dangerous for health. This article explains the side effects of drinking too much water and how to treat water poisoning and how to prevent it. Read on this short article, hopefully you can add your health knowledge.
Overhydration or excess is dangerous for health. Indeed, water is very important for humans but consuming water also has its roots. Excess water in the body is called water poisoning, it can be a brain disorder that can even cause death. Not dangerous! Please note that more than 50% of adults are dehydrated, so nutritionists recommend consuming more water.
However, this statement is sometimes misinterpreted by some people so that they consume water in amounts exceeding their needs. So, it is very important that you read this article to find out how much water is needed by the body, what are the symptoms of water poisoning, and how to treat it.
Before we see “the side effects of drinking too much water”, let’s look first at the signs that you have drunk too much water.
Signs of drinking too much water
Ok, first we start with signs of excess drinking water or overhydration. There are at least nine clear signs if someone experiences more water. Next, we pay attention to one by one.
1. You always carry a water bottle with you
Do you consider that always drinking water can fulfill or hydrate your body? If the water bottle is with you, this means that you always take the time to drink and always fill your bottle every time it runs out Maybe you suspect that every time you drink water can help your health, even though this is not the case. Every time you drink water can cause electrolytes to run out in the body and other complications can occur.
2. Not thirsty but you always drink
This can be a sign that you have excess water in the body. You may have read that every day the body needs 3 to 4 liters of water. So, you urge or force your body to enter the water with it. In fact, you have consumed other foods that contain such fruits and others.
If so, then when you urge yourself to fill up with 4 liters of water, that means you have put excess water into the body.
3. You think clear urine is a healthy sign
Do you drink as much water as possible until the color of your urine is clear? You are wrong because clear urine is not a healthy sign, which is a sign that you are healthy is the color of urine pale yellow. So, clear urine is a sign that you are over drinking water and electrolyte balance is hampered.
4. You always urinate in the day or night
Do you feel that you urinate every 30 minutes? Have you ever woken up at night to urinate? If this is true, this is a sign that your body is over water or has been drinking excessive water.
Note: But if there are other symptoms such as diabetes, it’s likely a symptom of the disease.
5. You have a headache
A headache is one sign that you drink too much water. When water is excessive in the body, the cells will swell. Likewise, with brain cells, brain cells also experience swelling so that the brain grows bigger and compresses the skull. These are the factors that cause you constant headaches.
6. Feel nauseous
Do you feel nauseous after drinking lots of water? If so, you experience excess water in the body. When water is excessive, kidney function will weaken so that it stops removing water from the body. Furthermore, this condition will cause nausea and feelings of vomiting.
7. Swelling and discoloration of the hands, feet, and lips
Did you know that consuming too much water can cause swollen feet, swollen hands, and lip discoloration. If your kidneys do not work normally (due to excess fluid) your body cannot remove water from the body. The body is forced to hold lots of fluids and this causes lip changes and swelling.
8. Your muscles feel weak
Other signs of overhydration are cramps and muscle weakness. Well, weakness in this muscle is caused by the inhibition of electrolyte balance. So, if you want to get a good level of electrolyte, drink young coconut water. So, you don’t need to consume too much water, but not too much. Lack of water can also interfere with digestion.
9. Weak and tired
When the kidneys cannot work properly and are forced to squeeze water, then in your body there is stress. This stress then causes you to feel fatigue and fatigue.
Being weak and tired is one sign that your body is overloading fluids. Ok, you already know the signs that you drink too much water. Now we will explain some of the side effects of drinking too much water.
Side Effects Of Drinking Too Much Water
We talked about things related to drinking excess water. Now it comes to our main goal, the bad effects or side effects of drinking too much water.
1. Cause Hyponatremia
This is a condition of decreasing the amount of sodium to a limit below 136 mmol/liter blood serum. If there is excess water quickly in the body, it is certain that Hyponatremia will occur.
Sodium is very important in the body because it is responsible for stimulating cells or signaling cells and various other bodily functions. If you experience a decrease in serum sodium, you will experience fatigue, nausea, confusion, and even headaches. If this condition is already at a severe level then a person may experience death.
2. Causes cell swelling
On the other hand, a decrease in sodium due to overhydration is also dangerous for cell swelling. In this situation, water enters the cell through a semipermeable membrane. As a result, there is swelling in cells including swelling of brain cells which causes severe damage such as the brain, muscle tissue, and other organs.
3. Causes of Hypokalemia
Decreasing potassium ions can also occur due to the body getting excessive water supply. This condition is called hypokalemia. Finally, health conditions are like causing severe diarrhea.
4. Bad effects on the brain
Sodium deficiency or hyponatremia in the blood can also cause brain swelling. In turn will lead to the inability to speak, walking disability, disorientation, walking instability, causing psychosis, and death.
5. Strengthening heart performance
One of the central organs and plays a very important role is the heart. Heart serves to pump blood and drain it throughout the body. If you consume too much water, your body’s blood volume also increases. This can stop the heart’s performance or convulsions. In some cases, this is very dangerous.
6. Strengthening kidney performance
Other side effects of drinking too much water is disturb the kidney function. Did you know that the kidneys in their performance can filter liquids as much as 1 liter in one hour. If there is too much fluid in the body or overhydration, of course the kidneys cannot work normally.
Also see: Essential oils for kidney stone
7. Bad for the liver
This bad effect is not because you drink too much water but because you drink too much water that contains a lot of iron. Excess iron can sometimes be fatal to liver health, but this is in rare cases.
8. Piss continuously
The side effects of drinking too much water can also make you have to go to the bathroom continuously to urinate. This is really very troublesome, whether you are at the office, at school or in other places.
Drinking too much water makes your kidneys work continuously so you have to urinate continuously.
9. Risk Of Chlorine Overdose
Drinking too much water also puts you at risk of excess chlorine. If you experience this, you are at a higher risk of cancer. So, the best way to maintain the body is not by overhydration or dehydration. Keep your body hydrated, but don’t overhydrate.
10. Coma
This is very scary, someone with excess fluid in his body can also experience coma. Coma is caused by damage to the visceral organs and brain organs. Not infrequently people experience coma, eventually die. So, be careful and don’t drink too much water in a short time frequency.
Ok, we already know the side effects of drinking too much water. That is, we are not good at consuming too much water, but also not good if there is a lack of fluid in the body. So, how much water should be consumed? Here we see the explanation.
How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluid intake per day varies. This amount of fluid depends on age and gender, daily activity or the type of treatment being carried out.
According to data from the National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine, they recommend that women drink 2.7 liters (91 oz) of the total amount of water either from food or drink. While men are advised to drink 3.7 liters (125 oz).
However, a different thing was said by scientists from the Netherlands, they suggest for drinking 2.2 liters of water for women, and as many as 3 liters for men per day. Ok based on this data, it’s certainly not true if you have to drink as much as 3-4 liters per day.
Also read: Benefits of sparkling water
If you have drunk too much water, what should you do so that your health is not disturbed. Below we see the path that must be taken.
Ok based on this data, it’s certainly not true if you have to drink as much as 3-4 liters per day.
If you have drunk too much water, what should you do so that your health is not disturbed. Below we see the path that must be taken.
How To Treat Water Intoxication (Overhydration)
If you accidentally consume too much water. You must take a recovery route to prevent the side effects of drinking too much water.
- Stop to continues to drink water
- If you feel unwell, immediately consult your doctor
- Not taking drugs that cause retention in the body
- Doctors can provide additional sodium to balance body fluids
- Maybe the doctor gave you a diuretic
Such this the treatment that might be done if you are in danger of excess body fluids or excess drinking water.
