Can drinking excessive water negatively impact your health?

What is hyponatremiaWater requirements of an individual vary from one person to another depending on factors like age gender health weather and physical activity Normal water intake for males is 35 to 37 litres and for females is 25 to 27 litres But when you drink too much water your kidneys canrsquot get rid of the excess and the sodium content of your blood gets diluted This is called hyponatraemiaThis drop in serum sodium can cause various symptoms like headaches fatigue lethargy nausea vomiting dizziness confusion cramps and may lead to a lifethreatening coma in severe cases Certain medical conditions also lead to overhydration like congestive cardiac failure liver disease and kidney diseases Psychogenic polydipsia PPD or selfinduced water intoxication SIWI is also commonly seen in psychiatric disordersDr Manjusha Agarwal senior consultant internal medicine Global Hospital ParelWater retention in kidney diseasesA normal kidney filters 180 litres then concentrates it to 15 litres which come out as urine Any kidney disease usually causes water retention resulting in high BP heart failure and lung congestion That is why in most advanced kidney diseases water restriction is essentialMoreover three organs mdash the kidney heart and liver are essential to regulate water homeostasis in the body So all heart diseases causing pump dysfunction and chronic liver diseases usually require salt and water restrictionAs people age the capacity of the kidney to manage excess water gets impaired So a common habit of drinking three to four glasses of water early in the morning is not a good idea It can result in acute hyponatremia causing diminution or loss of consciousnessWhen to fill your glassThere is no fixed quantity of water prescription for different ages or body types there are only some common guidelines Heavy exercise hot environment and highprotein diets call for consciously increasing water intake In usual circumstances thirst is an excellent guide to the water requirement of the body as the thirst signal is titrated to salt and water content in the bloodNo fad liquid dietsLiquidonly diets are not suited for the hardware of the human body It can result in seriously low sodium in the body causing brain swelling with dangerous consequences like drowsiness coma and even fatality This is especially so if there is any underlying kidney disease with a diluting defectDr MM Bahadur director Administration Nephrology Department Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre MumbaiWater intake checklistOne size doesnrsquot fit all and a waterconsumption guideline differs for people and is dependent on their thirst sensation and underlying problems One can say that girls aged nine to 13 years can drink 13 to 16 litres per day and boys nine to 13 years need 15 to 18 litres per day Adults will need around two litres of water per day Older adults should have at least 18 litres of water daily If one drinks other liquids such as nimbu pani or coconut water then speak to an expert for guidance regarding the right amount of liquids suited for youOver and dehydrationWater intoxication or water poisoning means disruption of the function of the brain that happens due to too much water intake Increased water intake means there will be frequent trips to the washroom and even during the nighttime You are drinking more water than required in case you urinate over ten times a day Overhydration can even lead to swollen feet hands and lips When electrolyte levels go down due to overhydration one will notice shaking and pain in the arms and legs Thus one will experience cramping and muscle spasmsOn the other hand if you are dehydrated for a long time then you can suffer urinary tract infections kidney stones and even kidney failure If your electrolytes are out of balance due to dehydration then you can become unconscious and also get seizures Moreover dehydration can also lead to low blood pressureOther liquid intake ORS and coconut waterPeople generally have coconut water and Oral Rehydration Solution ORS if they are dehydrated Coconut water is taken when onersquos blood pressure rises Drinking a lot of coconut water may lead to excess consumption of potassium inviting diarrhea Commercially prepared coconut water carries added sugars or artificial sweeteners which may trigger digestive discomfort and acidity ORS should only be used when prescribed by a doctor in case of diarrhoeaDr Puneet Bhuwania consultant nephrologist and kidney transplant physician Wockhardt Hospital Mira Road