Drinking excess water can be harmful
HYDERABAD: Do you know that water, considered the elixir of life, can have acute side-affects when taken in excess?
Hyponatremia, popularly known as over-hydration, is a condition that occurs when one consumes more water than the kidney can process and hence leads to water intoxication and a fall in the levels of blood sodium.
Technically, this means having blood sodium concentration below the required range, which is between 135 and 145 millimoles per litre. Experts warn that severe cases of Hyponatremia can lead to headache, nausea, frequent urination, fits, and can also be fatal.
The water and other solutions consumed by the human body is purified and filtered by kidneys by sieving it through millions of tubules. When a person drinks too much water in a short period of time, the kidneys cannot flush it out fast enough and the blood becomes waterlogged, explains Dr Younus Yousuf, physician at Mallareddy Hospital, Jeedimetla.
'Ultimately, the water is drawn to the regions where the concentration of salt is more in the blood, leading to Dilutional Hyponatremia.' Often seen among frequent marathon runners and athletes, experts warn that it is a rare but dangerous phenomenon that is quite picking up in the country today.
'This is mostly seen in people who come from educated families and high-income groups. Going through the articles on the Internet and various health magazines, they make themselves quite aware of the various advantages of water. However, some people tend to go over board,' says Dr Guru Prasad, senior general physician at Yashoda Hospital in Somajiguda.
'Most of them work in the air-conditioned environment where the ambient water loss is less compared to the intake and this causes Dilutional Hyponatremia,' he points out. 'How much is too much?' one might wonder. While norms such as drinking eight glasses of water everyday are widely followed, certified fitness instructor and Calisthenics expert Vidheer Gundlapally warns that it is not the same for all.
'Mostly, it depends on the body type, the physical condition and the amount of workouts you do per day. Your body very well knows if and when it needs water. Hence, you should drink adequate amount of water when you feel dehydrated or thirsty, but not overdo it just to stick to the 8- glass schedule,' he advises.
News Posted: 18 January, 2015
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