11 Side Effects Of Drinking Too Much Water You Must Know About

December 8, 2023 by Pranay David

How many times have you been instructed to drink sufficient amount of water? Countless times we are sure! Drinking a minimum of 8-10 glass is a given and it is actually necessary for your body to consume it. But did anyone advise you not to drink water? Surprised? Well, just like how drinking 8-10 glasses of water in a day has its own set of benefits, similarly drinking anything more than 10 glasses of water on a regular basis can actually do you more harm than good.(1)

Not only can it cause minor irritations, but over hydration or drinking excess water can actually lead to death also in some cases. Hence, it is absolutely essential for you to keep a check on how much water you are drinking. We have listed down few of the side effects ranging from minor to major and it would be a good idea for you to start paying attention to all of the symptoms mentioned in the side effects. This post is a revelation to all those people who think that the more water you drink, the more benefits you can gain out of it. It’s time to burst all those myths and find out the actual facts of drinking too much water!

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11 Side Effects Of Drinking Excess Water

1. Excessive Sweating

Excess drinking if water can lead to hyperhidrosis. It is a condition where you have abnormally excessive sweating. Over hydration or drinking too much water can lead to extreme sweating problems. There are certain patients who have had to go through a surgery to remove their sweat glands in order to find relief from the problem of excessive sweating. When you drink too much water, your body tries to get rid of it in the form of sweating. So if you notice too much sweating, you could try and reduce the amount of water you drink everyday.(2)

2. Insomnia

Insomnia is a condition where you have difficulty in sleeping. You can have a case of insomnia if you drink excess water especially before you are off to sleep. This is because when we sleep, our brain releases a hormone called anti-diuretic hormone or ADH. This hormone is responsible for slowing down the functions of the kidney and thereby stopping the feeling of urination during the night.(3)

3. Water Poisoning

This is one of the most serious and harmful side effect of drinking excess water as it has been reported that this side effect has resulted in death too! It becomes difficult for our kidneys to remove all the excess fluid quickly when we drink litres and litres of water in a very short span of time. When our blood suddenly becomes diluted, it results in the swelling of our brain cells which can ultimately result in water intoxication.(4)

4. Hyponatremia

When the level of sodium in your blood is too low, it results in a condition called hyponatremia. The sodium content is responsible for the proper functioning of electrolytes which in turn are responsible for sending signals to the cells to carry out different functions in the body. When the sodium level drops due to excess drinking of water, the electrolytes stop functioning properly. This leads to various symptoms like disorientation, headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, etc. Though it is a rare side effect, it is quite fatal.(5)

5. Kidney Damage

A network of capillaries which are located at the beginning of a nephron in the kidney is called as Glomeruli. Over drinking of water can damage your glomeruli over a period of time. This is because the kidneys would have a tough time in filtering out all the excess water, damaging the glomeruli in the process.(6)

6. Brain Edema

Though drinking too much water is harmful for your kidneys, it poses a greater threat to your brain. When your kidney fails in filtering the excess water, the other cells help in soaking it but if your brain swells up due to excess water it can prove to be dangerous and result in problems like respiratory problems, seizures, coma or sometimes even death.(7)

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7. Stomach Irritation

Another side effect of drinking too much water is stomach irritation. If you notice stomach pains, vomiting or diarrhea due to excess drinking of water, get yourself checked by a doctor and take the necessary precautions. Please do not stop consuming water as it can lead to a new set of problems.

8. Excessive Urination

Excessive urination is a common side effect of drinking excess water. It is but natural for your body to relieve the extra water in the form of urination. If you notice an urge for frequent urination, it would be a good idea to start monitoring how much water you are drinking on a daily basis and see if that is the reason behind this problem.(8)

9. Liver Damage

Cirrhosis is a liver disease that leads to scarring and liver failure. This liver disease is a symptom of over hydration which is another reason why one should not take part in silly competitions like drinking huge gallons of water in a short span of time.(9)

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10. Risk Of Chlorine Intake

Most of the water that we drink is treated with chlorine so that all the bad microorganisms present in water can be killed. But there are side effects of drinking chlorinated water such as organ failure, cancer, etc. Hence, drinking excess water can increase the risk of ingesting chlorine.(10)

11. Excess Pressure On Heart

The total blood volume in your body can increase when you drink too much water. As you know our blood volumes are within the circulatory system which is a confined space. So when you increase the levels of blood volume, it would inadvertently put excess pressure on your heart and the blood vessels.(11)

Who knew that even drinking excess water could cause such side effects, right? Well, now that you know about these side effects, it’s time to start monitoring your amount of water intake and take necessary precautions so that you neither suffer from over hydration nor dehydration.

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