Are you Overhydrating?

You have heard about the importance of keeping hydrated and drinking enough water to keep our bodies performing properly, but is there such a thing as over doing it? What happens if you drink too much water?

Overhydration occurs when you drink too much water. Drinking excess water increases the amount of water in the blood and this can dilute the electrolytes in the blood, including sodium. When the sodium levels are below 135 mmol/L, it’s called hyponatremia. This drop in sodium level causes water to enter the cells of the body, causing them to swell up. And this can eventually lead to water intoxification causing a disruption in the functioning of the brain cells.

Symptoms Of Overhydration

• Headache
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Confusion orDifficulty in breathing
• Muscle weakness and cramping
• Drowsiness
• High blood pressure

The treatment procedure depends on how severe the symptoms are. Drink less water or stop drinking water for another few hours, if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms. Also, you could eat some salty food to replace the lost electrolytes to help maintain a balance between the electrolyte and water content.

Taking diuretic medications or drinks will help increase the production of urine as well. Its recomemded that men should drink 3.7 litres and women should drink 2.7 litres of water.