Dehydration can be deadly, with risks in severe cases such as organ damage and even death. Therefore, staying hydrated throughout the day is vitally important.
As a result many people are mindful to make sure they consume enough fluids on a regular basis. Water is often the drink of choice to do so.
While drinking lots of water definitely has its benefits, drinking too much could still be risky. One doctor took to TikTok to warn against overhydrating.
In an explainer, Doctor Sermed Mezher shared a video of a girl explaining how she discovered your urine is not supposed to be completely clear. She said: “My life was ruined the day I found out you’re not actually supposed to pee clear.”
Responding, GP Dr Mezher said: “She’s most definitely not wrong.”
He shared an image which showed how the “ideal” colour of urine should be a “pale” or “transparent” shade of yellow.
The chart labelled completely clear urine as a sign someone is drinking too much water.
Dr Mezher continued: “See if you pee clear, that means you are having more than 2.5 litres of fluid per day, which means your kidneys are working overdrive to keep that water off your brain.”
Again he referenced another video, this time of a young boy in hospital.
He said: “For some people, whose kidneys can’t keep up like Ray here, they actually suffer from something called water intoxication.
“That’s when sodium levels in your blood drop to critically low levels and your brain starts to swell.”
Swelling in the brain can be extremely dangerous.
He continued: “Now you may be surprised to hear that we like to keep our brain inside our skulls and it’s actually an enclosed cavity.
“So if the pressure here rises from a bleed, or if your brain starts to swell because of water intoxication it’s going downwards, which we don’t want.”
This type of swelling increases pressure inside the skull and this can lead to symptoms of headaches, nausea and vomiting.
In more severe cases the person might experience:
- Drowsiness
- Muscle weakness or cramping
- Increased blood pressure
- Double vision
- Confusion
- Inability to identify sensory information
- Difficulty breathing.
So how much water is safe to drink?
Dr Mezher added: “Of course, like most things in life too much is not grateful but too little isn’t either.
“So if you’re around here [he indicated orange to dark brown on the urine scale] then you need to increase your intake.
“Two litres is good for a healthy adult and babies under six months shouldn’t be given any water at all.”