The heatwave situation in India has made far too many headlines by now. Extremely hot conditions have driven people inside and even evenings have become discomfortingly warm. Every heatwave discussion ends with a somewhat similar conclusion. Everyone tells you how much ‘water’ you must drink. There are several ways to drink more water. The idea of staying hydrated is more than welcome. But then, how much is too much?
Over-hydration is a potentially deadly condition which messes up the balance between sodium and water in your body. There are two types of over-hydration conditions; one with increased water intake and one with water retention. Drinking too much water is not new. An individual can end up drinking too much water due to certain medications, during exercise, and other reasons.
While it is important to drink water on a regular basis, one must draw a line somewhere. On an average, our kidneys can release only half a liter water in about an hour. To drink more water than you can expel would not be wise. This is because too much water causes an imbalance in the level of salt/sodium in your blood. The condition is also referred to as water intoxication. Sodium balances the fluids in and around our cells. An exceedingly high intake of water can cause the liquid to get deposited in your cells. This leads to swelling and in some cases requires immediate treatment.
Symptoms of over-hydration include headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. One may also feel too hot and unpleasant. Even though the threat of dehydration in summer should encourage us to consume lots of fluids, the ill effects of over-hydration must be kept in mind. It is completely ok to increase intake of fluids if you’re sweating a lot or are on a diet that requires more water. But other than that, it must be remembered that there is a limit to the quantity of fluid intake for the human body.
(Featured Image Credit: usu.edu)
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