is i possible to drink too much water in a day and if it is how much is too much?

Answer 1

3 or 4 cups of water is the healthiest approach.
Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Athletes can also suffer from water intoxication. Athletes sweat heavily, losing both water and electrolytes.


Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes.
What Happens During Water Intoxication?

When too much water enters the body's cells, the tissues swell with the excess fluid. Your cells maintain a specific concentration gradient, so excess water outside the cells (the serum) draws sodium from within the cells out into the serum in an attempt to re-establish the necessary concentration. As more water accumulates, the serum sodium concentration drops -- a condition known as hyponatremia. The other way cells try to regain the electrolyte balance is for water outside the cells to rush into the cells via osmosis. The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from higher to lower concentration is called osmosis. Although electrolytes are more concentrated inside the cells than outside, the water outside the cells is 'more concentrated' or 'less dilute' since it contains fewer electrolytes. Both electrolytes and water move across the cell membrane in an effort to balance concentration. Theoretically, cells could swell to the point of bursting.

From the cell's point of view, water intoxication produces the same effects as would result from drowning in fresh water. Electrolyte imbalance and tissue swelling can cause an irregular heartbeat, allow fluid to enter the lungs, and may cause fluttering eyelids. Swelling puts pressure on the brain and nerves, which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication. Swelling of brain tissues can cause seizures, coma and ultimately death unless water intake is restricted and a hypertonic saline (salt) solution is administered. If treatment is given before tissue swelling causes too much cellular damage, then a complete recovery can be expected within a few days.

Answer 2

I remember reading a news article about a frat hazing where they a pledge died from drinking too much water, water intoxication.

The link below suggest drinking no more than a gallon a day, 16 cups of water.

Answer 3

Yes it is possible to drink too much water. I learned it in nursing school. It actually overloads the kidneys leading to an electrolyte imbalance. You have to drink gallons and gallons of water. There is actually a disease for this...a psychological condition where people drink too much water. Its called water intoxication
There is a disorder called hyponatremia, which means "low sodium." This occurs when someone drinks enormous amounts of water and/or loses too much salt from the body in a short time. Drinking an enormous amount of water overwhelms the kidneys and they can't process and eliminate the water fast enough, so the amount of sodium in your blood drops too low. Your brain needs sodium and when the sodium levels drop this low a person feels confusion and lethargy. Severe hyponatremia can lead to twitching, seizures and even death.

Hyponatremia can happen to a marathon runner who drinks gallons of water and doesn't replace the electrolytes during a race, or to people with certain psychological disorders who can't make themselves stop drinking water. Hyponatremia can also occur in older people and people with certain medical conditions.

Answer 4

What I truthfully have been listening to these days is that for healthful organ function a guy or woman could drink a million/2 their bodyweight in oz. of water an afternoon. So in case you weigh one hundred fifty pounds you're able to be ingesting seventy 5 oz. of water an afternoon. i used to be a member of weight watchers and if I undergo in ideas wisely they advise 8 8-ounce glasses of water an afternoon. So what you're ingesting now could be not too plenty. Water is plenty greater effective than soda and juices.

Answer 5

I remember reading an article where a women committed suicide by drinking too much water, and i don't mean drowning. She drank so much water it cleared her body of all her salts, which is needed to survive. She roughly drank a case of water bottles, 24. Most people would throw up before they get that far.

Answer 6

Well, you should drink around 2 l per day. I suppose that the extreme quantities like 5-6 l would be really to much, and would only stress your body.

Answer 7

Yes it is. It's called Over Hydration, and can have the same effects as dehydration.

Stick to the 8 glasses of water a day. You'll be fine.

Answer 8

normally you should drink 1/2 oz per pound of weight
so for big ol' me at 256 lbs as a guy - I should drink 128 oz or
a gallon of water per day

or a 128 lb lady - shoud drink 64 oz or a half gallon

if you are more thirsty than that - it might be a signal for a check
for diabetes - - like me - was drinking 2 gallons a day and could
NOT quench my thirst - good luck

Answer 9

I didn't think you could, but I learned you can. Your body needs certain nutrients and you can overhydrate. As long as you drink as you are thirsty, you will be fine.

It's also no fun to run to the bathroom every few minutes when drinking tons of water!

Answer 10

I heard if you drink too much then you are flushing out nutrients your body needs. Not sure how much too much is though...sorry.