Are you drinking too much water?

Water is not only vital to survival but also for the optimum functioning of the body. It's good for the skin, helps to cleanse the body and host of other benefits. But in the quest of absorbing these benefits, there have been times when some people have overboard drinking water and it's not just marathon runners. Read on to know more.

Who are guilty of doing so?
"One reason why some people drink excess water is that wear fills up the stomach and so they would feel less hungry, thereby helping them to lose weight. In my gym, men are drinking more water as they sweat more (males sweat more than females). Another interesting thing that I have noticed is that men, these days are a lot into sports drinks and supplements, which are all mixed in water and consumed," recounts Shalini Bhargava, fitness expert Jg's Fitness Centre.

Dr Rajesh B Kumar, nephrologist and transplant physician, Aviva Hospitals, has seen a tendency to drink excess water among individuals suffering from psychometric problems like schizophrenia,
psychosis, obsessive compulsive disorder. These psychiatric problems can affect individuals in their middle age to the elderly.

Dr Anil Ballani, consultant Physician, Hinduja and Lilavati Hospital often encounters patients on a regular basis who tend to drink excess water, ranging from five to six such cases in a month. These individuals are either patients who exercise and drink a lot of water, some drugs and medicines for blood pressure have a diuretic effect, and sometimes individuals with psychiatric illnesses.

The downside
Hyponatraemia:
The ideal daily salt intake is about three to four grams, but when one drinks excess of water it leads to electrolyte imbalance and low sodium concentration, which is known as hyponatraemia which affects the brain function causing decrease appetite, vomiting and abnormal behaviour. Dr Kumar recounts the case of an elderly male patient who began to drink excess water of four litres in a day (without increasing salt intake), after watching some yoga program on TV, which advised people to drink lots of water. Later he had to be treated for hyponatraemia. Dr Ballani warns that hyponatraemia can cause swelling in the brain, lead to semi-comatose condition and in some rare cases, death too.

Pressure on the kidneys
The kidneys flush out toxic waste from the body in the form of urine. On an average, a normal healthy person generates about a minimum of 500 ml to 600 ml of urine a day, and an average maximum of one to one-and-a-half litres of urine a day. Drinking excess water put pressure on the kidney function, as they cannot handle excess water, adds Dr Kumar.

Dehydration and affects circulation
Sodium helps in proper absorption of water in the body. Excess water in the body leads to an imbalance of salts in the body, particularly sodium. This can lead to dehydration, as the body will not be able to hold /absorb the water intake. The body can go into a shock and the circulatory system can be severely affected, opines Bhargava.

So how much should you drink?
Patients with kidney stone and normal kidney function can drink about three to four litres of water for preventing the formation of kidney stone. However, patient with weak kidney and stone should consult a nephrologist for quantity of water intake, advises Dr Kumar.

According to Dr Ballani, about two to three litres of water a day if fine for individuals for normal persons. But if one is into regular exercise, then an increase of one to one-and-a-half litres of water is advised. For children between the ages of eight to 14 around one-and-a-half litres is alright. If a child is into sports, ensure that the child is given electrolyte drinks or just water with a pinch of salt and sugar will do. Marathon runners are at a risk of hypoanetramia.

Conditions like age, body size, how much exercise, climate and weather, illnesses, breast feeding, etc changes the daily water intake requirements. Bharagava recommends about three litres for men and 2.5 litres for women.