Avoiding water intoxication

There is a belief that water can never be an enemy but this has been found to be false in some situations when water becomes dangerous and this is not even in situations of flooding. There are medical situations where water becomes an enemy and one of such is when an individual suffers water intoxication. Yes, when you are drunk on water.

Water intoxication also called water poisoning, is the disruption of brain function due to drinking too much water. While every cell and organ in the body needs water to function properly, excessive water consumption can lead to water intoxication.

Over-hydration and water intoxication happens when an individual drinks more water than the kidneys can get rid of via urine. It is however said that the amount of water isn’t the only factor but how long you take to drink the water. There is a greater risk of developing water intoxication if you drink a lot of water in a short period of time; the risk is less if you drink the same amount over a much longer period of time.

Body weight, physical activity level and climate are important factors to determine how much water an individual needs. A simple measurement is to listen to your body and drink when you feel thirsty as this should be enough to maintain good hydration levels though some need more than this.

Water intoxication is not likely to happen unless someone drinks a large volume of water within a short period of time and water intoxication results from the swelling of cells especially brain cells which increase pressure inside the skull increases.

Excess fluid accumulation in the brain is called cerebral edema and it can affect the brain stem and cause central nervous system dysfunction.

Symptoms of water intoxication includes headache, vomiting, nausea, confusion, drowsiness, difficulty in breathing, double vision, increased blood pressure, muscle weakness and inability to identify sensory information. And in severe cases, symptoms are more serious; seizures, brain damage, coma and even death.

The best way to prevent water intoxication is to make sure you don’t drink way more than you sweat out. But because this is hard to measure, it is better not to drink until you feel thirsty and when drinking, drink until you don’t feel thirsty.

A check of urine colour is an indication; if it’s dark or deep yellow, you’re probably dehydrated, and you should drink enough to quench a thirst at a time, if it’s straw colour and almost clear, that is ideal, but peeing out crystal clear water is a danger zone.

 

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