Will Increased Water Intake Keep Ailments Away?

Each body cells need water to work well. The problem occurs if you consume excess water, which is termed overhydration. There’s no single formula to decide how much water you must drink every day. It is better to opt for the standard recommendation of eight glasses per day. Depending on your environment, exercise routine, general health, and conditions like pregnancy or breastfeeding, you should adjust your water intake level.

What happens when you drink an excessive amount of water?

Water poisoning, intoxication, or a disruption in brain function can occur when you drink too much water. This happens when there’s a lot of water in the cells, like brain cells, making them swell. As a result, the brain experiences excess pressure. Bradycardia (low heart rate) and hypertension (high blood pressure) could occur if this pressure rises. You might begin experiencing tiredness, confusion, and headache.

Overhydration affects sodium, the electrolyte causing hyponatremia. Sodium is an essential component that maintains the equilibrium of fluids entering and leaving cells. At the point when its levels drop because of a high measure of water in the body, liquids get inside the cells. Then, at that point, the cells expand, causing seizures, going into a trance-like state, or even death in the worst cases.

What are some warning signs of over-hydration?

• The color of urine – One of the most outstanding ways of deciding whether you’re drinking sufficient water is to screen the shade of your pee. Due to the interaction of the body’s water content and the pigment urochrome, it typically takes on a tea-colored to pale-yellow hue. If your urine is frequently clear, you have probably consumed too much water in a short period.
• An excessive number of washroom trips – Another sign is if you’re making excess washroom trips more than usual. You should urinate between six and eight times a day on average. High achievers who drink water or people who drink alcohol or caffeine regularly can go as many as ten times.
• Water consumption even when you are not thirsty – A third method for trying not to drink an excess of water is to know when your body needs it. The body can battle against dehydrationby telling you when you really want to hydrate. Thirst is the body’s reaction to lack of hydration and must be your directing signal.
• Nausea or vomiting – The symptoms of overhydration may resemble dehydration in appearance. The kidneys are unable to remove excess liquid from the body when there is an excessive amount of it. It begins to accumulate in the body, resulting in diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
• Headaches that hurt all day long – Headaches can mean both hydration and dehydration. Cells swell and salt levels drop when there is too much water in the body. They expand as a result of this swelling, pressing against the skull in the brain. This strain causes a pulsating headache and may cause brain impairmentand breathing difficulty.
• Lips, arms, and feet discoloration – Your lips, hands, and feet will become swollen or discolored if you drink too much water. The skin will also swell when the cells swell.
• Fatigue or Tiredness – When you drink too much water, your kidneys have to work very hard to get rid of it. You experience feelings of stress and exhaustion as a result of this hormone reaction. If your kidneys are overworking after drinking too much water, you can’t get out of bed.
• Muscle cramp – When you drink too much water, your electrolyte levels drop, which affects your body’s balance. Low electrolyte levels in the body can cause muscle cramps and spasms.

How much water should you consume every day?

As mentioned already, there is no strict rule that everybody needs 8 glasses of water per day. It’s a general guideline because we constantly lose water from our bodies. In order to thrive and survive,  we need to consume sufficient water.

Men require approximately 13 cups (3 liters) of fluid daily, while women require approximately 9 cups (2.2 liters), according to the Institute of Medicine. Females aged between 19 to 30 years must drink around 2.7 liters of water every day. Males of a similar age should consume 3.7 liters.

There are no established guidelines for how much water you should drink each day. How much your body needs relies upon your sex, body weight, physical activity level, and weather condition. Depending on how thirsty you are, you can consume water. The intake levels might not work for everyone, especially athletes, older people, and women who are pregnant.

How much water would it be advisable for you to drink assuming your kidneys are failing?

While drinking more water can assist with supporting kidney capability, no proof proposes that an increase in water intake will halt the progression of kidney ailments.

The National Kidney Foundation reported that patients with chronic kidney disease (stages 1 and 2) should drink 8 glasses of water daily, while people with stages 3, 4, and 5 should consume less water. It is highly recommended to connect with your doctor regarding your water and salt intake. However, if you have kidney failure, less is more.

Final thoughts

Water is essential to cell functioning as it makes up a large portion of the body. Your body will alert you when it needs more water. When you drink too much, you can get sick and die. In case, you don’t have any idea how much water you need to drink every day, adhere to the well-known recommendation of eight glasses per day.

However, make sure you don’t have any issues with kidney function. For confirmation, opt for a renal profile test from Yoda Diagnostics. Earlier detection of kidney issues, if any, will help!