Mostly Drink Water, Know the Signs and Impact on Health – Drinking water does have many benefits, but drinking too much water actually has a bad impact on your health. To prevent this from happening, consume water according to your body’s needs.

Water is the main component in the body. About 50–70% of the body consists of water. Every cell, tissue and organ in the body needs water to function optimally. That’s what makes you have to meet your body’s fluid needs every day, including by drinking water.

However, drinking too much water is not good because it can cause the body to have excess fluid (overhydration). Overhydration can cause disorders, one of which is electrolyte imbalance . This condition needs to be treated immediately so that it does not endanger health.

Signs that your body drinks too much water

People who experience overhydration do not initially show any signs. However, urine color can be an indicator of sufficient fluid in the body.

Darker urine color is an early sign of dehydration , so you need more water to keep your body hydrated. Meanwhile, urine that is colorless or clear can be a sign that you are drinking too much water.

Apart from changes in urine color, drinking too much water can also be characterized by frequently drinking water even though you are not thirsty, frequent urination , and changes in color of the hands, feet and lips.

The Impact of Drinking Too Much Water

Drinking too much water or overhydration generally rarely causes serious health problems. However, drinking too much water can make the kidneys unable to get rid of excess water in the body. As a result, salt levels in the body decrease ( hyponatremia ).

When the body drinks too much water and hyponatremia occurs, the body’s cells will absorb more water, causing swelling. This condition can cause symptoms, ranging from mild to life threatening.

The following are some symptoms of hyponatremia:

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Bloating
  • Muscle cramp
  • Tired easily
  • Headache
  • Swollen hands and feet
  • Restless and quick to anger

Hyponatremia is usually more at risk for people who do heavy physical activity and need to drink a lot, such as athletes. In addition, people who take psychotropic drugs, such as ecstasy , are also more at risk of experiencing a decrease in salt levels in the body.

Tips to Minimize the Impact of Drinking Too Much Water

Overhydration due to drinking too much water must be treated immediately. Because, if left untreated, overhydration can cause permanent brain damage, even death. To overcome overhydration caused by drinking too much water, immediately stop consuming water.

You also need to pay attention to how much fluid you consume in a day. Each person has different fluid needs, depending on the level of physical activity, climate, body size, speed of the body processing food, age, and the type of food and drink consumed. Generally, healthy adults need 8 glasses or around 2 liters of water every day.

Apart from drinking water, you can also meet your body’s fluid needs from foods that contain lots of water. Some types of food that are high in water content are vegetables and fruit, such as spinach and watermelon.

As mentioned previously, drinking too much water is not good for your health. Despite the many benefits of water , overhydration due to drinking too much water needs to be avoided. You can do this by not drinking more than 8 glasses of water per day.

However, if you have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease , you should consult a doctor to avoid drinking too much water. This is because under certain conditions, water intake needs to be strictly limited.

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