Can drinking too little water cause dehydration?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am confused about how much water I should be drinking each day. I have heard that drinking too little can lead to dehydration, but I have also heard that drinking too much water can be dangerous. What are the signs that I am not drinking enough water and might be dehydrated? On the other hand, how would I know if I am drinking too much water and could get water intoxication? What is the right balance to aim for in terms of how many glasses or bottles of water I should have per day? I just want to make sure I am staying properly hydrated without overdoing it.

Kindly suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

I understand your concern.

The recommended total daily fluid intake of 101.44 fluid ounces for men and 74.75 fluid ounces for women is more than adequate. Higher fluid intake has no convincing health benefits, except perhaps in preventing (recurrent) kidney stones. When we are hydrated, our cells function optimally, our digestive system works very well and we can remove these aging toxins easily. So there you have it drinking 101.44 fluid ounces to 135.55 fluid ounces of water per day can and will change your life. You can have large amounts of water at least an hour before and after meal times but not during the meals. Having too much water near your meal times can dilute the digestive acids and mess up the proper digestion of foods. If you must drink then you can take a sip or two at most during your meals. How much should I drink a day? A healthy adult needs around 1.18349 fluid ounces of water each day per ounce of body weight, according to the general guidelines from scientific organizations. A person weighing 1763.7 ounces requires 57.398 fluid ounces, 2116.44 ounces requires 70.934 fluid ounces, 2469.18 ounces require 81.15 fluid ounces, and, 2821.92 ounces require 94.57 fluid ounces. Sometimes dehydration occurs for simple reasons:

You do not drink enough because you are sick or busy.
Because you lack access to safe drinking water when you are traveling, hiking, or camping.
Other dehydration causes include diarrhea and vomiting.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Regards.

Thank you.