Besides shriveling up like a raisin and , um , dying , you might already knowwhat go on when you do n’t drink enough water . You get peevish , feel low - energy , and on and on .

So you definitely need to abide hydrated . Chug , chug , chug ! Actually , slow your guzzle : it is potential to overdo it . But how do you bed when it ’s sentence to put the bottle down , aside from all the pee fracture ?

What are the signs of “water intoxication”?

It ’s a real matter , for starters ! And less fun than other varieties of intoxication – too much H2O can be deadly . Overhydrating can conduce to some nasty gist if you ’re not careful , and while early phase do n’t always have outstanding symptoms , confusion , disorientation , headaches , sickness , and vomiting all can point to a job .

foresightful - term symptoms can admit muscle weakness , seizures , and even comas . plain these outcomes are rare , otherwise you ’d listen constant warnings not to tope too much water . " You have to drink A LOT of water to get to this point , though , " saysDr . Nicole Van Groningen . " Liters and liters over a short geological period of time . A normal kidney can egest about half a litre an hour , at most . If you ’re toast well more than this , you ’re putting yourself at hazard for water system intoxication . "

It’s less about the water, more about the salt

Hyponatremiais a status in which the sodium story of the stemma drops . unproblematic 7th - score science class cover what materialise when we add too much water to a admixture : you stretch it . Same matter happens when you over - imbibe water supply . " When you drink too much water , you adulterate your blood and stop up not having enough of your body ’s rude common salt , " tell Dr. Lisa Ashe .

" Eventually , if it dangle too low , H2O rush into cellular telephone , " Dr. Van Groningen warns , adding that this can lead to swelling of brain cells , resulting in all those terrible aforesaid symptom . This condition , somewhat ironically , canaffect extremist - distance athleteswho are so interested about maintaining their hydration level that they constantly drink water , dropping their sodium levels in the process .

How much water do I need to hit the “just right” amount?

The amount of water your body needs depends on a bunch of thing from your size , workout , or activity level , to what you ’re eat . " The best way to avoid this condition is to sip , " says Dr. Mark Sherwood . " When one is drinking 4 to 6 oz of water spread out every 20 - 30 minutes during intense exercise , no issue should result . Absent acute exercise , there is really no reason to drink more than 6 to 8 oz every hour . "

Dr. Sherwood says that a oecumenical principle for knowing what is enough water for your body is to " divide your ideal body exercising weight in one-half and imbibe that many ounces of water . "

Others disagree . " It ’s hard to say how much is too much , " cautions Dr. Ashe , who adheres to the age - old hymn of eight glasses per Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . " There is no exact amount of pee that everyone should drink day by day . We ( medical experts ) have said eight glasses of water that are 8 oz in the past because it ’s prosperous to remember . "

Girl drinking water

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No matter what , expert say to learn you dead body as best you may , listen to its indigence and wants .

" One thing I wish more hoi polloi knew was that our bodies are much smart than we are , " Dr. Van Groningen says . " Our bodies tell us when we need to fuddle water . If you require one rule about water , it ’s drink when you ’re thirsty . As long as you ’re young and intelligent , your thirst mechanism will keep you well hydrated . There ’s not much more to it . "

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water being poured into glass

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