We all know about dehydration. Doctors tell us to drink 8 Glasses Of Water A Day, even though it’s probably a myth. 

But we rarely talk about overhydration. It’s when we drink more water than necessary, which leads to loss of essential Electrolytes from the body due to excessive urination.

Is it dangerous?

What happens if you drink too much water?

And will the excess peeing hamper your sleep?

Well, the latter is for sure! But most importantly you need to know how to fix overhydration.

Keep reading while we answer your questions! 



What Is Overhydration?

Overhydration, also called water intoxication or hyperhydration, is a condition that occurs when the body has absorbed too much water. It can be caused by drinking large amounts of plain water in a short period of time or by drinking excessive amounts of fluids that contain high levels of electrolytes, such as Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks.

Types Of Overhydration 

1) Increased intake of water:

This is when you consume more water than the amount your kidney can filter and excrete through urine in a day. 

It can happen even by drinking 8 glasses of water a day, because that may not suit everyone.

2) Retained water:

This is when your body starts holding fluids. It can be because of liver problems, Diabetes, anti-inflammatory drugs, and heart failure as well.

In both cases, you tend to develop the condition Hyponatremia. 

What Causes Overhydration?

Fluid levels in our body are exquisitely controlled by a series of neural and hormonal feedback loops involving receptors called aquaporins and the anti-diuretic hormone known as arginine vasopressin. Osomosensors in our oesophagus and stretch receptors in our stomach all contribute to maintaining the water and salt balance.

Overhydration results when we either consume too much water or our body fails to excrete sufficient amounts of water. These include

• Exercise- Drinking too much water, especially after endurance exercise without adequately replenishing electrolytes lost through sweat can lead to overhydration.
• Psychogenic Polydipsia- Some people find themselves compulsively reaching out for glass after glass of water. ‘Poly’ means many and ‘dipsia’ means to drink. Stats reveal that individuals with psychogenic polydipsia are 80% females with a history of anxiety, depression or schizophrenia. 
• Social Polydipsia- This occurs when individuals drink too much water for the health benefits of hydration. It is much rarer and seen mostly in Western countries.
• Chronic Stress- Studies on rodent models showed that chronic stress acts as a trigger for polydipsia leading to hyper hydration.
• Systemic Conditions- There are several conditions that can lead to overhydration despite normal water intake as they make the body retain water. 
• Congestive heart failure (CHF)
• Liver disorders
• Kidney(Renal)  problems such as CKD
• Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone or SIAH
• Uncontrolled Diabetes
• Drugs- Certain drugs can cause water retention 
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs
• Anti-psychotic drugs
• Diuretics
• MDMA (ecstasy)
• Isolation- Chronic loneliness and isolation may result in polydipsia and hyperhydration
• Torture– Thankfully an extremely rare cause, forced ingestion of excess water as a form of torture or punishment has been documented.

Contests-  Water Drinking contests can sometimes lead to hyperhydration with fatal consequences.

Symptoms Of Overhydration

Here are three ‘Drinking Too Much Water Symptoms’ that are sure to disturb your life if you don’t take care of them immediately.

1) Your urine is colorless.

Experts say that your urine should not be too yellow as it is a sign of dehydration. And to prevent dehydration, you may end up drinking more water than necessary.

When you do that, the number of your pee sessions will increase and your urine will become clear instead of being slightly yellow like it should be. That’s the sign you need to stay clear of.

2) You experience fatigue and muscle cramps.

Sodium plays a significant role in keeping our muscles healthy and other energy levels high. But when you suffer from overhydration, you basically suffer from Hyponatremia. The condition arises when your blood has low (diluted) amounts of sodium. 

It’s because we lose a good chunk of our sodium reserves through sweat and urine. Since you drink too much water, your increased urine sessions encourage the body to throw out the sodium.

Low sodium leads to Low Energy causing fatigue, and other problems like Muscle Spasms and Cramps. At a severe stage of this condition, you may even experience seizures or go into a coma.

3) Vomiting, nausea, confusion, headaches, and lightheadedness trouble you.

All these symptoms of overhydration – be it vomiting or lightheadedness – cause you trouble mostly in severe cases only. 

So, if you are experiencing these issues and can’t seem to put a finger on any other cause, it’s likely due to overhydration and you need to check with your doctor as soon as possible to put a stop to it. 

The reason behind these issues is Electrolyte Imbalance. Sodium is one of the Most Essential Electrolytes that gets diluted in your bloodstream when you drink water excessively. 

Since sodium has a crucial role to play for the better functioning of your muscles and nerves, it is important that we keep it in check. 

How To Fix Overhydration?

Overhydration can often be worse for the body than dehydration. If not treated swiftly it can lead to water intoxication and even be fatal

• The first line of treatment involves limiting fluid intake, ideally under the supervision of a doctor. 
• At home, foods like coffee powder, bell peppers and onions may be helpful
• Hypertonic, meaning more concentrated, solutions of salt in water are given to the patient. About 3% or 3g of salt per 100ml of water is a good concentration for treating mild to moderate overhydration.
• In cases of severe or chronic overhydration hospitalization and infusion of IV, saline is necessary to save the patient’s life.

Summing Up

Whether you drink extra water to avoid dehydration or you do it because you are always thirsty, you are very likely to suffer from overhydration. And that brings with it the condition of Hyponatremia. 

Hyponatremia is when your body doesn’t have enough sodium to function. Thankfully, this sodium – like all other electrolytes – can be replaced with ease through an electrolyte solution.

But how to fix overhydration permanently? If you find no good results by consuming electrolyte food and drinks, what you need to do is consult a doctor and find the right solution to this issue.