In this short article, we will answer the question “How much water can kill you?”. We will discuss what excessive ingestion of water can cause and will also discuss the role that water has in our organisms.
How much water can kill you?
The exact amount of water that can kill you is unknown, however, doctors don’t advise consuming more than roughly a litre (L) of water every hour for several hours.
Is consuming too much water hazardous for you?
Yes. Be cautious if you think drinking too much liquid won’t hurt your health. An imbalance in the concentration of electrolytes in the blood, particularly sodium, can result from consuming a lot of water.
Hyponatremia, a condition marked by a fall in blood salt levels, is the issue and, in really dire circumstances, can result in water intoxication.
Sounds strange, huh? But these intoxication signs and symptoms also include migraines, exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and even cardiac arrest.
When the kidneys, which regulate the quantity of water, salt, and other elements in our body, are unable to release them and allow the blood to “soak,” hyponatremia develops. Where there is a higher concentration of salts, water is drawn there and enters the cells.
A typical person who does not use medicine finds it incredibly challenging to become hyponatremia only by drinking water. When a patient has potomania and consumes more than 20 litres a day, this happens.
Marathon competitions are another increasingly regular circumstance. Only water is used to hydrate the person, and because we lose a lot of salt through perspiration, hyponatremia can occur.
In addition to drinking too much water, the issue may also be caused by hormonal changes (antidiuretic hormone) and drug use.
ADH, or antidiuretic hormone, mediates the control of water intake. Drinking liquids can quench our thirst when we experience it.
The body controls natremia (sodium levels) quite effectively between thirst and the kidney’s and ADH’s production of urine that is free of excess water. However, drugs (certain antidepressants, diuretics) that are widely used can impair this process.
However, the aforementioned issues as well as potomania, a psychogenic illness, can mistakenly tell our bodies that the amount of fluids we drank was insufficient to “quench” our thirst.
How much water is the right amount?
The optimal daily water consumption is 2.5 litres for a man weighing 70 kg and 2.2 litres for a woman weighing 58 kg, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Just acknowledge your thirst and slake it. Another excellent way to tell if you are drinking water properly is to look at the colour of your pee. Bright yellow or orange indicates that it needs to be concentrated. There is no water as a result.
Between 800 ml and a litre of water can be filtered by a healthy kidney in an hour. It is possible for hyponatremia to become more likely at rates higher than three or four litres per hour.
How crucial is water to the human body?
Water makes up more than 70% of the human body. It assists in keeping the body hydrated, transporting nutrients like oxygen and mineral salts to the cells, and removing toxins from the body through perspiration and urine.
Due to the high temperatures at this time of year, particularly in the northern part of the country, it is important to pay attention to how much fluids you consume throughout the day to keep your body hydrated; drinking water simply when you feel thirsty is not sufficient.
At least 2 litres of water should be consumed each day. Drinking water assists our body in a number of ways: it flushes out toxins, prevents fluid retention, detoxifies the body, builds muscle, slows the ageing process, and aids in weight loss.
Depending on how much fluids is consumed, it frequently isn’t adequate to keep the body hydrated and cleanse it. Therefore, there are specific times when drinking water has a stronger positive impact on health.
Conclusion:
In this short article, we have answered the question “How much water can kill you?”. We have also discussed what excessive ingestion of water can cause and have also discussed the role that water has in our organisms.