Too much water can be dangerous

Just like dehydration is dangerous to one’s health, even excess water consumed within a short span of time can cause water toxicity in the body. Recently, a 35-year-old woman, vacationing with her family in the US, died due to overhydration or hyponatremia (dilution of essential salts like sodium or electrolyte imbalance in the body). It caused swelling in the brain, leading to coma and eventually brain death.  As per news reports, within 20 minutes, she drank 64 ounces or nearly two litres of water as she had felt extremely thirsty.

In another recent instance, a woman was hospitalised with severe sodium deficiency after drinking four litres of water every day for 12 consecutive days. She drank this excess water as she took part in the ‘75 Hard’ fitness challenge programme.

Hyponatremia can be life-threatening

“For the body to function normally by maintaining the electrolyte balance, one requires 136 to 145 millimoles of sodium per litre of water. The cells take up this water for functioning. If water is consumed in excess, it dilutes the sodium content causing the cells including the brain cells to swell. The kidneys also lose the ability to regulate the balance of fluids within such a short time. It can lead to coma and death, says Dr P Saketha Reddy, general physician from Hyderabad.
“The causes of hyponatremia can be varied, ranging from drinking excess water to some medications like certain varieties of diuretics.

It can also happen to those suffering from chronic or severe vomiting, diarrhoea, heart failure, diabetes, kidney and liver problems,” adds the doctor and advises that one should not drink more than two to three litres of water per day. “If over thirsty, then do not drink glasses full of plain water all at once. Instead, keep sipping water in which ORS or electrolytes have been added,” avers Dr Reddy.

Don’t gulp at one go, sip all day

Nowadays, people, under a false notion, believe that gulping down a lot of water is beneficial for health and especially, health enthusiasts who are into sports, jogging, running marathons, gymming, trekking etc often go overboard with drinking water.

Commenting on this trend, Dr Priyalini Sarkar, senior physiotherapist and advisor on sports fitness says, “In recent times, water bottles with litres and millilitres marked on it are highly popular giving an impression that we are supposed to gulp down all those litres per day. Added to it are social media influencers, without any medical degree, who advise the public regarding health. Thus people end up drinking water at one go and too much within a short time span without understanding the damage that they are causing themselves. Such habits dilute the sodium concentration in blood, causing an imbalanced metabolism. Human body is made up of 60% water and sodium is the main salt that constitutes about 0.15% of body composition. Excess intake of water can lead to both minor health issues like nausea, muscle cramps as well as serious issues like coma if not treated on time. So ideally, drink water in sips throughout the day rather than quickly gulping it down the throat.”

Drink it right

“People should understand that the right amount of water intake varies from person to person depending on the height, weight, age, nature of work and other health conditions. It is always important to find a balance in what suits the body’s needs. Drink when you get the thirst cues. Do not gulp down water when you are not thirsty. Secondly, avoid drinking too much water while having food. This will dilute the digestive enzymes affecting the digestion process,” says Priyalini.
“Thirdly, neither replace water with other type of fluids like fruit juices, do not drink only plain water when the body feels exhausted after a tiring day outdoors or post workout session. While hitting the gym or after heavy physical activity, the body needs more than just water. Consider drinks that provide electrolytes, such as buttermilk, coconut water or electrolyte mixed water, which will balance the loss of sodium. Also, eat natural foods that contain sodium, which will help balance the sodium level,” adds the physiotherapist.

Don’t treat hyponatremia at home

Doctors also advise that one should seek medical help if the body indicates some discomfort and shows symptoms similar to dehydration like insatiable thirst, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, giddiness, fatigue, fainting etc. “In case of hyponatremia, it is recommended that the treatment is taken at a healthcare facility and not at home. The depleted sodium level has to be corrected slowly through drips. If it is done at a fast rate, then the patient may end up with locked-in syndrome or paralysis of the limbs,” cautioned Dr P Saketha Reddy.