Everyone knows water’s very important function in bodily well-being—from giving your pores and skin its glowing complexion to boosting your vitality ranges. And it’s no secret that staying hydrated is important for optimum well being and several other bodily capabilities, like supporting digestion, regulating physique temperature, and facilitating nutrient transport.
However scrolling by means of social media, you is perhaps flooded with well being messaging suggesting different supposed miracles of ingesting plenty of water, akin to flushing your system of “toxins.” However can ingesting an excessive amount of water really be dangerous for you?
To reply this compelling query, we spoke with consultants who reveal the unwanted effects, signs and dangers of overhydrating, in addition to share recommendation for treating and stopping them. Learn on to be taught extra.
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What Is Water Intoxication?
Water intoxication, often known as water poisoning, is a situation that arises once you devour an extreme quantity of water in a brief interval, exceeding your kidneys’ capacity to remove water, per StatPearls. Flooding your system with water past what your kidneys can excrete dilutes the electrolytes in your blood, significantly sodium. This imbalance disrupts the conventional functioning of cells, resulting in swelling and potential problems.
“Hyponatremia may cause your blood sodium degree to drop too low,” cautions Semiya Aziz, M.B.B.S., MRCGP, DFSRH, BSLM/IBLM, a common practitioner in North London, UK, and founding father of Say GP. “Sodium is a vital electrolyte that helps regulate the water stability and the perform of the nerves and muscle tissues within the physique. Water intoxication is uncommon and normally occurs when somebody drinks greater than 1 liter of water per hour for a number of hours with out changing misplaced electrolytes.”
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How A lot Water Is Too A lot Water?
The quantity thought-about “an excessive amount of” varies broadly primarily based on components akin to age, weight, exercise degree and local weather. That mentioned, a 2021 examine in BMJ Open suggests, on common, ingesting 5.3 liters (1.4 gallons) of water over a four-hour interval can result in water intoxication. Nevertheless, this may increasingly differ for every particular person.
Signs and Indicators
Based on MedlinePlus, ingesting an excessive amount of water, or water intoxication, can result in varied signs because of electrolyte imbalance. Preliminary indicators might embody drowsiness, muscle weak point or cramping, elevated blood strain and double imaginative and prescient, however signs might change into extra extreme because the situation progresses. Right here’s a breakdown of potential signs:
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Complications
- Drowsiness
- Double imaginative and prescient
- Decreased urination
- Nausea and vomiting
- Elevated blood strain
- Muscle weak point or cramping
- Lack of ability to establish sensory stimuli
Results of Ingesting Too A lot Water
Trista Greatest, RD, a registered dietitian with Stability One Dietary supplements, tells EatingWell, “Extra water consumption causes a dilution of sodium ranges within the blood, resulting in signs akin to nausea, headache, confusion, seizures and, in excessive circumstances, coma or dying. The swelling of cells, particularly within the mind, on account of low sodium focus can lead to elevated intracranial strain, which can manifest as signs starting from gentle discomfort to extreme neurological points.”
Dilution of Sodium Ranges
Sodium is essential in sustaining correct fluid stability inside and round your cells. A 2016 assessment within the Journal of Medical Neurology famous that diluting sodium ranges within the blood can result in signs starting from gentle nausea to seizures and could be life-threatening in extreme circumstances.
Swelling of Cells
Whereas cells can usually regulate their water content material, overwhelming them with an excessive amount of water can disrupt this stability. Mobile swelling might lead to varied points, together with impaired mobile perform and elevated strain inside tissues, which analysis, akin to a 2019 assessment in Vitamins, factors out could be deadly if it causes mind swelling past 5% to eight% of your cranium’s capability.
Impaired Kidney Operate
Your kidneys play an important function in sustaining your physique’s fluid stability. Nevertheless, water intoxication can pressure these very important organs. Ingesting an excessive amount of water in a brief interval can overwhelm your kidneys’ capacity to excrete extra water and impression their capacity to perform correctly, states the British Vitamin Basis.
Dangers and Problems
Though water intoxication is rare, it will probably pose critical well being dangers and problems. Apart from the antagonistic results described above, Greatest says, “Extreme water consumption can overload the circulatory system, resulting in edema (fluid retention) and placing extra stress on the guts, probably inflicting cardiovascular points. Moreover, overhydration can disrupt the stability of different important electrolytes in addition to sodium, akin to potassium, magnesium and chloride, impacting varied bodily capabilities.”
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Therapy and Prevention
Whereas the kind of remedy might range relying on dangers and problems, there are some sensible measures you may take to assist forestall and deal with water intoxication:
- Monitor water consumption: Keep away from ingesting greater than 0.8 to 1 liter of water per hour, and drink in accordance with your thirst and bodily exercise degree.
- Stability electrolytes: Fastidiously devour electrolyte-rich fluids or meals, particularly if you happen to sweat loads or train for a very long time. This follow may help forestall the dilution of sodium in your blood. Examine along with your well being care supplier to seek out out if electrolyte drinks are a superb choice for you.
- Search medical consideration if signs happen: If you happen to expertise any indicators of water intoxication, akin to nausea, headache, confusion or seizures, search fast medical assist. It’s possible you’ll want intravenous fluids containing sodium, varied drugs or different remedies to revive your sodium degree and scale back the swelling of your cells.
“Water intoxication is a uncommon however critical situation that may be deadly if not handled promptly,” says Aziz. “Subsequently, it’s vital to pay attention to the dangers and prevention ideas and to behave shortly if you happen to suspect you or another person has water intoxication.”
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How A lot Water Do You Want Each Day?
Like something nutrition-related, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to water consumption. Based on the Institute of Medication of the Nationwide Academies, the advice is 3.7 liters per day for males ages 19 to 30 and a couple of.7 liters per day for ladies in the identical age vary. Nevertheless, particular person necessities range primarily based on age, weight, weight-reduction plan, exercise degree and local weather, so adjusting this primarily based on particular person wants is important. If you happen to’re bodily energetic, dwell in a sizzling local weather or are pregnant, you could want extra water than the common particular person. Simply be conscious of the dangers of overhydration.
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Continuously Requested Questions
How a lot water is required for intoxication?
Water intoxication happens once you drink an extreme quantity of water, typically past what your kidneys can excrete. The precise amount varies amongst people, however it’s typically linked to consuming a number of liters of water in a brief span with out consuming electrolytes, resulting in electrolyte imbalance.
How a lot water causes overhydration?
Overhydration, or water toxicity, may result from consuming an quantity of water that surpasses your kidneys’ capacity to remove it. This situation can happen once you excessively and quickly drink extra water than your physique can safely course of.
Is 4 liters of water a day an excessive amount of?
The final guideline is round eight (8-ounce) glasses per day. That mentioned, the quantity of water is as vital because the time period during which one drinks it. Moreover, particular person wants differ, so make sure to verify along with your well being care supplier to find out the correct quantity of water for you primarily based on components like local weather, weight-reduction plan and bodily exercise to ensure you’re staying hydrated.
Can water intoxication be deadly?
In excessive circumstances, water intoxication can result in hyponatremia. On this situation, low sodium ranges within the blood may cause swelling of the mind, resulting in seizures, coma and probably dying.
The Backside Line
Whereas ingesting water is undeniably important for good general well being and supporting optimum bodily capabilities, it’s very important to strike a wholesome stability in your water consumption to forestall the potential dangers of overhydration. Signs of water intoxication vary from fatigue to confusion, swelling of cells and impaired kidney perform. The really helpful quantity of every day water consumption varies primarily based on particular person components however ought to nonetheless be thought-about when staying hydrated. To assist forestall the well being dangers related to ingesting an excessive amount of water, follow moderation, preserve electrolyte stability and search medical consideration when wanted.
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