
Water is essential to keep the body hydrated. Drinking water keeps you healthy, but the habit of drinking too much water can be fatal for you.
Experts believe that 9 to 13 cups of water a day is sufficient for a healthy lifestyle. This amount of water keeps you hydrated. But if you drink more water than this, then it can also have side effects.
In such a situation, always remember that if you are not feeling thirsty then do not drink water unnecessarily.
If you are drinking water without feeling thirsty then leave this habit. If you are not feeling thirsty and are still drinking water, then there may be an imbalance of electrolytes present in your body.
Being over-hydrated can upset the balance of electrolytes in the body such as potassium, sodium and magnesium. These things run everything from our kidney to heart function.
In such a situation, drinking more water can disturb the balance in the body and your body can stop working properly. If you do a lot of physical labour and run outside in the hot weather, then you need to drink more water, otherwise, drink water only based on your natural thirst.
You should know that if the colour of your urine is dark yellow then it is a symptom of dehydration. A healthy level of hydration is when your urine is pale yellow in colour.
If the colour of your urine is clear, then it means that you are overhydrated and you should reduce the amount of water you drink.
Due to overhydration, our kidneys also get damaged. When we drink more water, it reduces the plasma level of arginine vasopressin, which directly affects the functioning of the kidneys. In this case, you need to avoid drinking too much water.
According to medical sources, most people go to urinate seven to eight times in 24 hours. If you are going to urinate frequently and get up to urinate even at night, then it means that you are drinking more water than required.
However, other reasons such as urinary tract infections, diabetes and prostate problems can also be there.
Drinking too much water can cause swollen hands, feet and lips. Drinking more water reduces the amount of sodium in the blood and harms the body.