In short: A viral Facebook post suggests that drinking too much water can seriously damage you. It may even become
With just under 69,000 views in just 24 hours, the Facebook post warns of the dangers of “water poisoning” or “drinking too much water too fast.”
This “causes a sodium imbalance, causing water to move from the blood into the cells, causing them to swell,” he argued, adding, “This type of swelling can lead to coma or death.”
Dehydration occurs when your body loses more water than it takes in, but is it okay to drink too much water? This post has been flagged as potentially false by Meta’s fact-checking system. I was. I did some research there.
Water intoxication causes hyponatremia, which can lead to coma and death
Drinking too much water, called water intoxication, affects the brain, according to Medical News Today. It is dangerous because the amount of water in the blood increases and electrolytes such as sodium are diluted, causing the cells to swell.
These electrolytes help the body function normally by maintaining fluid and blood volume, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Water intoxication causes hyponatremia, a condition caused by lower than normal levels of sodium in the blood. The condition is severe and, if left untreated, can lead to seizures, coma, and death.
Water poisoning is more common than you might think. A 2002 study found that excessive fluid intake can be caused by increased fluid intake during exercise.
Although not common, pets can also become overhydrated.
The Gundersen Health System, a US-based nonprofit organization, lists some of the symptoms of water intoxication as follows:
clouded thoughts
nausea and vomiting
headache
In severe cases, some symptoms may appear as follows:
delirium
seizure
coma
there is no one-size-fits-all answer
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how much water you should drink per day to stay hydrated, but it doesn’t make you overhydrated.
Generally, 4-6 servings per day are recommended for healthy individuals. However, people with certain health conditions, such as kidney disease, may need to drink less.
The UK’s National Health Service suggests that, on average, people should drink between 6 and 8 glasses of fluids per day. This includes non-water drinks such as coffee, tea, and sodas. However, drinking as much water as possible can be dangerous.