Water Intoxication Is Deadly – When You Drink Too Much Water

 \n\nAs all of us know- roughly 60% of our bodyas adults, is comprised of water. Water is quintessential for our survival. Strong common sense tells us that too much of water consumption may be harmful. Yup! That’s right. Then what is under, over or optimal water consumption. Let us learn about this vital lifesaving aspect:\n\nOur organs need water unconditionally…….\n\nAs per renowned scientists an average human male is made of 30 trillion cells and contains about 40 trillion bacteria, most of which reside in his digestive tract. So all the cells and organs in our bodies need water to function properly. We also know that we need to constantly replace water lost through sweat, urine and breath. Those who do not drink enough water can cause symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness and muscle cramps. Conversely, drinking too much water can also cause a serious condition called water intoxication.\n\nWhat Is Water Intoxication?\n\nWater intoxication results due to drinking too much water. This can result in disruption of brain function. This is also called Water Poisoning. How? If a person drinks a lot of water then the volume of blood inside increases. This water can dilute the electrolytes in your blood, especially Sodium. When sodium levels fall below 135 mmol/L, it is called Hyponatremia. Sodium helps balance fluids between the inside and outside of cells. When sodium levels drop due to excess water consumption, fluids shifts from outside the cells to inside, thereby, causes them to swell. When this happens to neurons [brain cells], it can produce dangerous and potentially life-threatening effects.\n\nDrinking Too Much Water Can Be Dangerous to Brain Cells….\n\nDue to excess water, when brain cells swell, pressure inside the skull increases. This pressure causes the first symptoms of water intoxication namely, headache, nausea and vomiting. Under severe circumstances serious symptoms are experienced, such as:\n\nConfusion.\n\nIncreased Blood Pressure\n\nDouble vision.\n\nDrowsiness.\n\nDyspnea[Difficulty in breathing]\n\nMuscle weakness and cramping.\n\nInability to identify sensory information.\n\nExcess water can result in excess fluid accumulation in the brain. It is called Cerebral Edema, which can affect the brain stem and Central Nervous system adversely. In severe cases, Water Intoxication can cause seizures, brain damage, coma and even death.\n\nHas Water Intoxication Caused Any Death So Far….\n\nThough it is very difficult to consume too much water by mistake, there have been reported cases of deaths due to this condition. Water intoxication cases have been reported among soldiers, endurance sports athletes and schizophrenia [a Neuro Disease] patients. Several hypernatremia cases and deaths have been reported in these professions.\n\nHow excess water cause death\n\nWhen we resort to reckless water or water loaded drinks, the volume of water in blood increases. This accelerated volume result in dilution of sodium in blood. Second, a kidney can eliminate about 20–28 liters of water a day, but it can’t get rid of more than 1.0 liters per hour .Therefore, in order to avoid hyponatremia [low sodium] symptoms, one should not drink more than 1.0 liter of water per hour. Excessive water drinking can also occur in psychiatric patients, especially Schizophrenics. In one study 5 schizophrenic patients died young due to selfinduced water intoxication. Many reported cases of water intoxication result from drinking large amounts of water in a very short period of time. To drink 2 liter in one hour can prove fatal or life threatening.\n\nWhy Low Sodium is life threatening:\n\nSodium is one of the important electrolytes along with Potassium and calcium. If the level of these get disturbed either way it can lead to extreme danger to life. If the sodium level in body remain persistently lower than permissible level of 135 mg [hypernatremia], a death can happen within 48 hrs.\n\nDue to bad luck, if the symptoms of Hyponatremia are misinterpreted as those of dehydration by a physician then life can be up for a toss. So sportsmen engaged in high endurance activities are more fraught with risk of, Hyponatremia. This diabolical condition can lead to Hydrocephalus and brain stem herniation, which can result in death.\n\nHow sodium works within the body:\n\nNaturally, water follows salt, which means if you eat sodium too much, it will absorb more water. This situation results in Hypernatremia (the name of the condition that develops when either too much water is lost or too much sodium is obtained). It is more common among older adults, people with diabetes and those who eat heavily processed diets. People can also lose a high level of sodium through diarrhea, taking certain diuretics or laxatives, and exercising to extreme levels and overtraining without staying hydrated — all of which cause problems of their own. Normal sodium intake for a healthy person is 2.4 gm per day. Those who have Hypertension can try to restrict to 1.5gm a day. Himalayan salt- also known as Black Salt/Pakistani salt- is better than table salt. Average Sodium level in the body should be [136–145 mEq/L] . It helps maintain fluid balance, needed for muscle contractions, and helps with nerve signalling.\n\nHow Much Water Is Too Much?\n\nOver-hydration and water intoxication happens when you drink more water than your kidneys can get rid of via urine. But the amount of water isn’t the only factor. How long you take to drink the water also counts the most. You have a greater risk of developing water intoxication if you drink a lot of water in a short period of time. The risk is negligible if you drink the same amount over a much longer period of time.\n\nHow Much Water Do You Actually Need? There is no specific number for how much water you actually need to drink a day. It differs for each individual. To determine how much you need, consider your body weight, physical activity level and to cap it all the weather of the day. The Institute of Medicine suggests the adequate water intake per day for men pegged at circa 3.7 liters and for women it is 2.7 liter.\n\nHowever, these recommendations include water from beverages and foods. Some people still follow the 8 x 8 rule, which recommends drinking eight 8-ounce [227ml] glass of water per day. However, this rule is mostly self-induced and not based on research.\n\nA good rule of thumb is to listen to your body and drink when you feel thirsty. This should be enough to maintain good hydration levels. Moreover, athletes, older adults and pregnant women may need to drink some extra water each day.\n\n \n