Human life cannot exist without water. But under certain circumstances, water can be just as dangerous as any poison.
The human body will encounter some pretty serious problems if it drinks too much water. The kidneys filter waste and excess water from the blood. However, the agency can only treat 800 to 1000 ml of water per hour. So if you drink more water than that and don’t get rid of it, your body is in big trouble. Then, because you take in more water than your kidneys can handle, the excess stays in your cells.
Normally, cells are surrounded by a balanced solution of sodium and water. This solution enters and exits through the small pores of the cell membrane. Thus, it maintains the balance of sodium concentration inside and outside the cell.
However, by drinking too much water, the sodium solution will be diluted and not salty enough. This will cause excess water to seep into the cell to restore balance and then cause it to swell.
This condition is known by doctors as water poisoning and it is a big problem for everyone. When this happens, most of the cells in the body can handle the swelling, as soft tissues like fat and muscle can stretch.
However, the big problem will come from the brain cells because your skull is not elastic. This condition will cause your brain to swell and create tremendous pressure in the head. At first, you may experience headaches, confusion, and drowsiness. However, as the pressure increases, you run the risk of brain damage, coma, and even death. All of this will happen in less than 10 hours.
Once upon a time, a 64-year-old woman died after drinking 30 to 40 glasses of water. A group of US Army cadets also suffered from vomiting and seizures after drinking more than 2 liters of water per hour after a hard day of training.
Drinking too much water is also dangerous for marathon runners. One study found that at least 1 in 6 marathon runners suffered from mild water poisoning because running put a lot of stress on their body, including their kidneys. This prevents the kidneys from excreting water as efficiently and makes it easier for it to return to the blood. In addition, people with kidney problems are also very vulnerable because their kidneys cannot process water properly.
A healthy adult needs an average of 3 to 4 liters of water per day. And because water can come from other foods and drinks, drink when you are thirsty and stop when the problem is resolved.
