Drinking water and staying hydrated is a necessity, no matter what the weather or temperature says. However, consuming excessive amounts of water can be dangerous to your health.
So, here are five signs you are drinking too much water.
Throbbing Headaches
Suffering from throbbing headaches throughout the day is a clear sign of overhydration.
Drinking too much water can result in falling electrolyte levels. Though it’s normal sometimes for electrolyte levels to fluctuate, it is possible for them to become seriously imbalanced. This electrolyte imbalance may occur when overconsumption of water causes water toxicity and dilutes the amount of sodium in the bloodstream. The body balance then goes for a toss, causing your body’s salt levels to go down. When your body’s salt concentration is low, your cells swell and grow in size, pressing against the skull and resulting in a throbbing headache.
In some cases, this added pressure has even led to trouble breathing and brain impairment.
Urine Looks Like Water
Many people, especially athletes, consider urine color to be an accurate and reliable indicator of what’s going on inside their bodies. In fact, during the earliest days of medicine, urine has been one of the most useful tools for diagnosis.
Urine is mostly composed of water (around 95 %) but the remaining components consist of a complex mix of urea, chloride, sodium, creatinine, potassium and other dissolved ions, plus some organic and inorganic ingredients. No one talks about urine while being in polite company, but it can say a lot about an individual’s lifestyle and well-being.
There is the general assumption that for a person to be deemed healthy and hydrated, their urine should be transparent. However, according to several health experts, including Dr. Caudle, having colorless or transparent urine is a sign that you are drinking too much water.
It’s a myth that transparent urine is the healthiest sign of hydration. Instead, if you have a healthy lifestyle and if you are drinking a sufficient amount of water, the color of your urine should fall between straw-colored to transparent yellow.
Vomit, Nausea or Diarrhea
Overhydration and dehydration have nearly the same symptoms.
When you consume too much water, the volume overload makes it difficult for normal kidneys to function properly, thus resulting in the retention of excessive water. When the kidneys are not able to remove the excess fluid, the water starts collecting in your body, resulting in nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Though it is not common for this to happen to an average person, endurance athletes who have to drink huge amounts of water have often suffered from these unpleasant symptoms.
Urinate Frequently, Even During the Night
On average, according to health experts, a person urinates between 6 to 8 times a day. Water-drinking high achievers like athletes or regular alcohol or coffee drinkers might urinate at least 10 times a day. But, according to Dr. DeRosa, if you find yourself urinating more than 10-12 times per day, it’s a sign that you are drinking more water than your body needs.
However, if your water consumption falls within the normal drinking range, it is crucial to talk to a doctor as there are several other factors that are linked to frequent urination, like urinary tract infections, irritation of the bladder, pregnancy, diabetes and many more.
Swelling or Discoloration in Your Lips, Hands and Feet
The human body needs a certain concentration of sodium for fluid balance and blood pressure control. Hyponatremia, on the other hand, is a condition that occurs when the concentration of sodium in your blood is abnormally low and the main cause of hyponatremia is drinking excessive amounts of water.
People suffering from hyponatremia will then notice swelling or discoloration in their hands, feet and lips. According to Dr. Caudle, overconsumption of water can lead to a person looking bloated or swollen.
