Overhydration Side Effects: Keeping yourself hydrated amidst the scorching heat and heat waves is considered most important for health. Health experts often recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day, but do you know that drinking excessive water can also be fatal for your body. In medical science it is called overhydration or water toxicity. This condition can disturb the internal balance of the body and invite serious diseases.
When we drink more water than the body requires, the sodium level in the blood starts falling rapidly. This condition is called hyponatremia. Due to lack of sodium, the cells of the body become swollen, the worst effect of which is on the brain. Drinking excessive water puts extra pressure on the kidneys which can lead to problems like fatigue, headache, nausea and confusion.
If your throat is getting dry again and again even after drinking plenty of water, then do not ignore it as just the effect of heat. This may be a sign of some serious deficiencies hidden in the body.
Anemia occurs due to iron deficiency in the body. When hemoglobin in the body is low, the heart has to work harder to carry oxygen to the organs, due to which one feels dehydrated and feels thirsty again and again.
Many times the problem is not of thirst but of dry mouth. When the saliva glands in the mouth are unable to produce enough saliva, the throat and mouth feel constantly dry. Saliva not only helps in digesting food but also prevents mouth infections.
Excessive thirst can be an early symptom of diabetes. Apart from this, due to stomach problems like diarrhea or side effects of medicines, fluids get released from the body rapidly due to which the thirst mechanism gets activated.
Thirst is a natural alarm system of the body. Drink water only when you feel thirsty. If you are forcefully drinking water without thirst just to stay healthy, then be careful. During the summer season, consume ORS, coconut water or lemon water along with water so that the balance of electrolytes in the body is maintained.
If you are feeling unusually thirsty for a long time or feel tired despite drinking water, then immediately contact a doctor and get a blood test done.
