People are always harping you to drink more water, but you knew there was such a thing as overhydration. Drinking too much water can cause low electrolyte levels and adversely cause comprehensive results that may even be fatal with harmful side effects. If your electrolyte levels dr, the consequences may even be catastrophic. People often at risk of over-hydration include endurance athletes who row, cycle, run marathons, or make rigorous hikes. Here’s how to make sure you drink a safe amount of water daily.
Tired muscles
Do you often feel that your muscles are tired, even if you’re not working out? This is due to a drop in the blood sodium. Other side effects may also cause nausea and aches, so if you drink a lot of water and have these conditions, over-hydration may be the cause.
Body parts swelling
If you have an unusual swelling of your legs, hands, and lips, you may drink too much water, a common side effect of electrolyte imbalance. Fluids in your body try to correct imbalanced sodium in your blood, resulting in a “fluid overload” that can cause swollen limbs.
Feelings of confusion or disorientation;
If you experience any delirious feelings, confusion, or disorientation, seek medical attention as this is a severe consequence that happens when our bodies consume too much water. This could be a sign of swelling of the brain.
Headaches
Along with this frustrating brain fog, drinking too much water can cause severe headaches and migraines. If your body cannot eliminate extra water on its own, the cells swell to make more room for it, and because our skulls enclose our brains, there is no room for expansion, all of which leads to that headache.
Drink it when you’re not thirsty
Drinking water frequently when not thirsty is a red flag that you might be over-hydrating. Our natural thirst should generally indicate when we need to drink water, so even if you’re working out or worried about your H20 intake, let that thirst build up a little bit first.
You urinate more than six or seven times a day.
This is the average amount humans produce over 24 hours, so if your amount is significantly higher, re-examine your water intake. Another good way to tell is if you wake up late in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
You’re constantly feeling tired.
It’s also a symptom of dehydration, but you know your habits best. Over-hydration can cause a massive loss of energy and the onset of tired feelings due to the electrolyte imbalance that your body is experiencing.
You get the cramps
Potassium is an electrolyte; sometimes, no amount of bananas can solve your pain. Potassium helps the minerals contract and relax the muscles; cramps may come more easily when you pee it all out. Along with muscle pain and fatigue, potassium loss is a common cause of overhydration.
How to properly hydrate
It’s hard for some people to find their sweet spot regarding hydration, so try to follow these rules.
1. Daily consumption should equal half an ounce of water per pound of body weight. If you’re still thirsty, increase very slowly. But remember that here, too, your BMI comes into play.
2. Flash news: water is not the only fluid. There’s plenty of water in a range of drinks and fresh fruits and vegetables. Soups, of course, also count. So if you eat tons of them daily, you may not need to choke as much water.
3. Before and after workouts, you’re highly athletic. The difference in weight will help you see how much fluid you’ve lost. Just don’t start obsessing about your weight as a result! Every pound of water lost can be filled with two cups of water.
4. Don’t chew a set number of glasses every day. Drinking your water intake all in one go isn’t ideal – instead, spread it out over the day and pay attention to factors such as weather, activity levels, and what you’re eating.
