Can you drink too much water? The Dangers of Overhydration

Our body needs water to survive and since we lose water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements, we need to replenish this water through food and drink.

How much water should you drink a day?

For men, about 3.7 litres and for women, about 2.7 litres of water per day is recommended, covering fluids from water, other beverages and food. These recommendations can vary depending on the person due to their age, weight and height, as well as their environment, overall health, whether they exercise and whether they’re pregnant and breastfeeding. The suggestion of drinking eight glasses of water a day is a simple and sensible goal for people to follow, however, staying hydrated varies among individuals. Some may find that less than eight glasses a day is enough for them, while others may require more.

How much water is too much depends on the person and is not generally an issue for healthy adults. When we drink too much water, our kidneys can fail as they struggle to remove the excess, which can lead to hyponatremia, where the levels of sodium in the blood become too dilated. This can happen to those who drink too much when doing intense physical activity as well as in babies if their formula is too dilated.

Overhydration can also cause water poisoning, intoxication or a disruption of brain function. Too much water in our cells can cause them to swell and can cause our brains to swell, leading to confusion, drowsiness and headaches, and possibly hypertension and bradycardia.

If you have chronic kidney disease, heart failure or liver disease and your body doesn’t remove water as efficiently, talk to your doctor about how much water is best for you.

If you’re drinking too much water, there are some symptoms to take note of: your urine is clear and you may notice yourself relieving yourself more than usual. About 10 times a day is normal for high-water drinkers. Take note if you’re drinking water if you’re not thirsty, feel nauseous, have throbbing headaches, have discoloured hands, feet or lips, have weak muscles that are cramping and are tired or fatigued, as these are indicators of drinking too much water.