This Is How Drinking Too Much Water Can Hurt Your Body

Every cell in the body depends on water to function properly. Drinking eight to ten glasses of water (as advised by experts) helps your body to flush out toxins, prevent constipation, regulate temperature, and perform all bodily functions. However, drinking too much water can be dangerous.

Overhydration can lead to water intoxication. When sodium levels in the body become too diluted, this condition is known as ‘Hyponatremia’. This occurs when the quantity of salt and other electrolytes in your body become too diluted. This is the major concern of overhydration. Death by overhydration is rare, but it can happen.

Here are some disadvantages of drinking an excessive amount of water:
Experts warn that excess consumption of water can cause fluid overload and imbalance in the body. Too much water can cause sodium levels in the body to fall below standard, which may further lead to vomiting, cramps, nausea, fatigue, etc. This condition is known as hyponatremia.

1. Overhydration can cause your electrolyte levels to drop, compromising the balance. Severe electrolyte imbalance can cause symptoms like nausea, lethargy, muscle spasms, and cramping.
2. Drinking too much water can overburden your kidneys and put extra pressure on them to function constantly. The kidneys can process up to 7 gallons (28 litres) of fluid per day, but they can’t excrete quite 1 litres per hour. Beyond that, they have to figure extra hard to take care of homeostasis.
3. Consuming excess water is linked to extreme sweating problems and frequent urination which can be really frustrating.
4. Drinking a lot of water at the end of the day can also disrupt sleep. According to experts, when we fall asleep, our brains release ADH,  an antidiuretic hormone (which constantly regulates and balances the amount of water in your blood) to slow down kidney function and stop the need to urinate during the night. If we have extra fluid in our system then it can override the effect of ADH, fill our bladder thus disrupting our sleep in the middle of the night. 
5. Excessive water consumption may cause potassium depletion within the body, which can cause symptoms like leg pain, irritation, pain , etc.
6. When the sodium level in your body falls, water enters the cell through the semipermeable cell membrane through the process of osmosis. This can cause the body cells to swell up. This swelling can result in serious irreversible damage to the muscle tissues, organs, and brain.
7. We know it is super important to stay well hydrated, especially during summers. But drinking more water than your body needs can lead to fatal effects.

However, contact your doctor if you stay unusually thirsty. This could be a sign of a medical problem that needs to be treated.

Disclaimer: All information in the article is collected from public sources. Should you have a health concern, please refer to a doctor for answers.