Signs that You are Drinking Too Much Water

Water is very important to the body, and you always hear it’s good to drink enough water. Of course, it’s good to drink enough water, but as the saying goes, too much of everything is bad. Water helps to remove waste products from the body through bowel movement, sweating and urination. Water also protects your sensitive organs; it cushions and lubricates your joints and also protects your spinal cord. Water also helps to keep minerals and electrolytes balanced in the body. Water also improves digestion and prevents constipation. Water helps to carry oxygen and nutrients to body cells. Water gives enormous benefits to the body. Due to its beneficial function in the body, many people tend to abuse it by drinking more water than needed in the body. Know the signs that you are drinking too much water to be able to detect it as early as possible to balance your water intake as needed by your body.

According to the National Academy of Medicine, men are supposed to take about 13 cups of water a day and women are supposed to take about 9 cups of water daily.

But this mostly depends on how physically active you are, the type of medication you are taking, age, your health condition and the climate of your area.

Drinking too much water can disrupt electrolytes and salt levels in the body. Consuming too much water causes water intoxication. Water intoxication is not common, like dehydration, but they are both dangerous. When you consume more water than needed by the body, the excess water moves into your body cells and makes them swell. This can cause edema in your extremities. It becomes more dangerous when the excess water moves into your central nervous system and the neurons start to swell. It can cause drowsiness, lethargy, confusion and sometimes, seizures, severe headaches and coma due to increased intracranial pressure caused by excess body water. Water intoxication can lead to organ failure and even death. Drink water cautiously.

1. Persistent headaches and nausea. When you are drinking water so much and you begin to have headaches and nausea at the same time, it could be water intoxication. When the excretory systems are not able to remove the excess water from your body, homeostasis becomes disrupted, and this leads to headache and nausea at the same time.

2. Weak Muscles. Weak or unsteady muscle is one major sign of drinking too much water. When you consume water in excess, the excess water gets accumulated in your muscles as well. This makes your muscles become weak and steady and, if not treated, it can cause serious muscle cramps and contraction.

3. Becoming disoriented or confused. When you begin to feel disoriented or confused whilst drinking a lot of water, quickly minimize your water intake. It could be a sign of water intoxication. The excess water moves into your central nervous system and the neurons begin to swell. This causes intracranial pressure and leads to disorientation and confusion.

4. Your urine is too clear. The normal urine color is light yellow to amber. Your urine color says a lot about your level of hydration. When you consume so much water, your urine becomes transparent or clear. If your urine is always clear or transparent, limit your

 water intake a little bit.

5.  You are always tired and exhausted. Consuming too much water dilutes your body’s electrolytes, minerals and nutrients. This can make you feel exhausted and tired all the time. If you always drink a lot of water and feel tired and exhausted all the time, reduce your water intake and eat well and do exercise.

6. When you wake up several times to pee at night. Consuming too much water interrupts your sleep. It makes you wake up several times to pee. It’s normal to wake up to pee at night, especially when aging, during pregnancy or after childbirth, if you are taking some medication or have some medical condition.

Drinking water to hydrate your body is good but drink it with caution to avoid water intoxication.