Whenever you are ill, all you hear from people around you is to drink tons and tons of water to get away with the illness. In easier terms “Drink plenty of fluids”; however, as per the medical researchers, that might not be the right case. A research has proved that there has been little to no evidence indicating that drinking plenty might actually be good for your health. Overdoing ‘water’ can be harmful, too.
BMJ Case Reports recently published an article describing the doctors’ point of view indicating that the people develop ‘hyponatraemia” due to excessive drinking. How it happens is that when you drink too much water, the level of sodium in your body reaches alarmingly low level.
Dr. Maryann Noronha, an emergency-medicine physician at the Royal London Hospital in England and the senior author of the report has stated that;
“The effect of illness on the body as well as people’s natural tendency to stop eating and drinking when unwell combine to make the risk of dehydration during illness a real concern. To counteract this, medical advice has always been to ensure to stay well hydrated during periods of illness. On the whole this advice is followed within reasonable limits. However, if taken to extremes, as in this case, the consequences can be as serious as that of not consuming enough water.”
People are prescribed to drink water every half hour, when ill or faced with dizziness. But, the tests results of the research have proved that the water intoxication can be a major issue due to the over-zealous interpretation of the practitioners.
“The old adage to ‘drink plenty of water’ should be approached with caution if you are not vomiting, or experiencing diarrhea, or excessive sweating. Your thirst is often the best guide to gauge when you need to drink more water if you have no history of kidney disease. There is a complex feedback loop from the kidney that stimulates special receptors in the brain that trigger the sensation of thirst,” advises the research.
