What will happen if we drink too much water?

Usually, you may hear about the benefits and importance of drinking water only, but have you ever wondered what will happen if you drink too much water? Today, ACU PAY will tell you about the negative effects of drinking too much water.

Many people already know that drinking water refreshes our body, stimulates brain activity, and has many other benefits, but do you know that if we drink too much water, it can also harm our bodies? Drinking water at a normal level is 2-3 liters per day. If you drink more than that, you can develop a disorder in the body.

What are the negative effects if we drink too much water?

Cell Swelling In the human body, there are sodium and potassium ions that act as electrolytes in the body and maintain fluid balance between cells and blood. If you drink too much water, water will enter the cell and make the cell swell more (also known as Edema). You will have headaches, seizures, and unconsciousness. If severe or cannot be treated in time, there is a risk of death.

Subnormal sodium The normal value of sodium in the body is 135-145 mg/L. If you drink too much water, the body loses its balance. The sodium value is below 135 mEq/L. which is low blood sodium condition or called Hyponatremia. Symptoms of Hyponatremia usually include mild confusion or muscle cramps. If there is a severe symptom, there will be a feeling of sleepiness and not consciousness in the end.

CrampsWhen the body loses balance by drinking too much water, muscles develop contractions and cramps.

Working-hard kidneys If you drink a lot of water at a time, the kidneys will heavily filter out excess water from the blood. This can result in chronic kidney disease, heart disease, and vascular disease. In some cases, fatigue, vomiting, and stress symptoms may follow.

Working-hard heart Water is an essential component of blood. When drinking water into the body, the small intestine will osmosis water in the bloodstream. When there is a large volume of water entering the body, blood volume increases, resulting in more heart work to pump blood. Seizures may occur.

Subnormal potassium When intake too much water, it lowers the level of potassium in the body, causing low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and risk of paralysis.

Symptoms if you drink too much water

Go to the toilet often because the body tries to expel excess water to maintain its mineral balance. Therefore, those who drink too much water will urinate frequently and the color of urine changes from light yellow to clear. Usually, people should urinate every 3-4 hours in one day if it is less than 3-4 times per day and urine is dark, indicating that the body receives too little water.
Primary body disorders such as dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, but if the water level is continuously high until the body swells, there will be confusion, headaches, and fatigue.
There are more frequent muscle spasms, cramps, and seizures because the body loses its balance in maintaining minerals in the body. If severe, it can result in death.

The amount of drinking water suitable for the body is as follows:

4-8 years old: The recommended amount is 5 glasses a day, or about 1,200 milliliters.
9-13 years old: The recommended amount is 7-8 glasses a day, or about 1,600 – 1,900 milliliters.
14-18 years old: The recommended amount is 8-11 glasses a day, or about 1,900 – 2,600 milliliters.
Women who are 19 years old or older: The recommended amount is 9 glasses a day, or about 2,100 milliliters.
Men who are 19 years old or older: The recommended amount is 13 glasses a day, or about 3,000 milliliters.

Alternatively, it can be calculated by dividing the body weight (kg) x 2.2 x 30 by 2 to give the resulting unit in milliliters, such as 50 kilograms x 2.2 x 30/2 will equal 1,650 milliliters, etc.

However, drinking insufficient water can also cause inconvenience to blood circulation and can be difficult to excrete, and drinking too much water is also harmful to the body. Therefore, we should drink the right amount at a reasonable level and it will definitely benefit our body.

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