Water is essential for our bodies both internally and externally. We need it to clean our skin and hair, to regulate our internal temperature, to cleanse out toxins and to hydrate the body and make our bodies function well. These are all facts and that why you should drink water. However, anything too much will always be bad. Too much food can lead to indigestion but too much water? That could lead to a number of conditions, most popularly water intoxication and hyponatremia.
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Water intoxication
This is very common among infants from zero to six months of age. It can also happen to athletes who participate in strenuous sporting activities. For babies, if the amount of water that they take exceed ideal amount. Water is good for the
body but water ALONE is not so good. When too much water fills out the cells of the body, the tissues will swell due to excess fluid. The cells have a gauge of how much water it can utilize to function normally and when too much water enters, sodium enters the cells in order to balance out the conditions from inside.
Hyponatremia
Sodium is present in the blood and when the blood is diluted with water, the sodium levels decrease. Sodium is an important electrolyte as it is a regulating component for cells to keep water levels in chec
k. When the swelling increases, the situation could range from mild to severe. The heart could start beating erratically, and fluids can enter the lungs, causing devastating complications. The swelling can also cause pressure to the brain and this could lead to seizures, comatose and finally, death, unless the condition is neutralized as soon as possible.
Thus is why when someone is dehydrated, it is not enough to drink water, and for some, people would add a bit of salt to water since salt has sodium components to help add to the lost electrolytes. For some, oral rehydration salts are used. For athletes, it is very crucial to have drinks that are filled with electrolytes to ensure that the water levels are maintained even in extreme situations. Do not dilute the milk with too much water so that the baby will not fall ill with water intoxication.