Most Drinking Water Causes Hiponatremia, Here Are The Impacts And Symptoms

Illustration of mostly drinking water causes hyponatremia (Freepic)

YOGYAKARTA Mostly and less drinking water, seems to cause significant problems. Not only dehydration due to too little fluid in the body, too much drinking can actually lead to overhydration and affect your health. According to Roberta Anding, RDN., a sports dietist at Rice University, Houston, one of the causes of drinking too much water is hyponathremia. What is the impact on health and symptoms of hyponatremia? This is the full explanation.

Hiponatremia or often called 'water poisoning' occurs when blood sodium levels drop below 135 milliequivalences (mEq) per liter (L). Normally, sodium levels between 135 and 145 mEq/L.

Obviously Mitchell Rosner, MD, a University of Virginia Department of Medicine nephrologist in Charlottesville, excessive water consumption dilutes the blood's electrolytes, such as sodium. When sodium levels drop too quickly, fluids come out of the bloodstream and enter tissue cells, causing these cells to expand. In extreme cases, says Dr. Rosner, your brain cannot accommodate such a severe swelling, which results in neurological problems or even death.

According to research published in the American Journal of Medicine, hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder. This condition often occurs when people have to drink very large amounts of liquid. Hiponatremia also generally affects people with Schizophrenia, it feels it has to drink a lot of water, causing water poisoning.

"The most common thing is, in the summer when people are told to drink a lot, they may take it too far," said professor of the University of Colorado Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Chris McStay, MD. reported by Everyday Health, Tuesday, June 20.

Add doctor McStay more clearly, if you drink 2 - 4 liters of water per hour, it may not lose a bit of sweat. Basically, this is a sign that your body is excess of water that the body can remove.

Apart from the excess amount of water taken, hyponathremia can also be caused by the consumption of certain drugs that can interfere with hormones and kidneys such as deuretic and antidepressant drugs. It can also be hyponatremia caused by heart, liver, and kidney conditions, chronic diarrhea, hormonal changes, and low levels of thyroid hormone.

It's important to understand, in a day men need 3.7-liters of water while women are 2.7 liters. The exact amount of water you need every day depends on factors such as age, gender, activity level, and how hot it is outside. But one easy way to know how much you need to drink is to trust your own body," Rosner said.

Symptoms of Hyronatremia can overlap with symptoms of exposure to the sun, fatigue from heat, and dehydration. According to McStay and Anding, symptoms of hyponatremia include vomiting nausea, headaches, bloating hands and feet swollen, muscle seizures or cramps, fatigue, anxiety and irritability.

Hyonatremia can cause severe seizures, comas, and neurological symptoms, including brain damage. Death from drinking too much water is rare, but it has happened.

"Unfortunately, we got reports of cases of people dying from hyponatremia, but that's very rare. Most people recover spontaneously or with medical care. They do it very well," concluded Rosner.