Water woes

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Water woes

Tuesday, 26 February 2019 | Dr Vineet Narang

Water woes

While there are many benefits of water, Dr Vineet Narang tells you that too much of it can do more harm than good  

As Hippocrates states: Everything in excess is opposed to nature. It is commonly known that excess of anything can turn the beneficial into worse, yet when it comes to following through that, we fall short. It is believed that a steady stream of what’s essential can never hurt, but sciences states otherwise. Take for example water — they say that you can never have enough of it. Yet it is this excess of water that leads to a slew of impediments.

 With the onset of winters, the urologist clinic is often flooded with elderly male and female patients that come in with urinary issues, mainly in regards to frequency, urgency and sometimes incontinence. Majority of them prefer a quicker diagnosis via getting a drug prescription. Physicians often oblige to this, without even dwelling into the most crucial factor — the fluid intake history of these patients, leading to an incomplete diagnosis that create further complications. An in-depth inquiry link majority these ailments to an excessive level of water intake.

By studying the intake and output of fluids, via a simple bladder diary (fluid chart), the urologist can gain information about the liquid intake and recommend measures to reduce it.  It has been clearly proved that by controlling the liquid intake 50 per cent of men and women reported improvement in their urinary symptoms without any medication. Yet, is anyone paying heed to this obvious fact?

India falls in the unique spectrum, when it comes to diagnosis and cure. Here, alternative therapy rules the roost over allopathic medicine, with people shunning the use of medicine for a more holistic or natural cure. Here, it is often believed that water has cure-all properties, trumping the most educated minds in believing that water’s goodness cannot be questioned. What is more humorous is that this freely available is marketed well by gurus, swamis, touting water as a panacea for everything from constipation to dyspepsia to urinary symptoms. Since India is also the land of fad following, the mass are lured into consuming excessive amount of water, in the name of “health”.

This is grown in such an exponential rate that it is not unusual for people to boast that they consume two liters of water in the morning. This leads to being gifted with a very good bowel evacuation, not to mention the fact that they pass urine every 15 minutes for the next two-three hours thereafter.

One needs to set the record straight that too much water is not good for the body, especially kidney. 1.5 to 2 litres of liquid per day is enough for the good functioning of kidneys, exceeding which creates an imbalance in the proper functioning of the excretory system. The deleterious effects of increased water intake (Polydipsia) are not just restricted to frequency and urgency but leading  to permanent bladder dysfunction, in the longer run. For elderly, this can be fatal, as an excess intake in water leads to dilutional hyponatremia (decreased sodium in the blood) and altered sensorium. In fact, increased fluid intake is recommended only for patients who have stone-related and active UTI complications — in the measured range of 2.5 to 3 litres.

The key, here, is not to dehydrate yourself but let your thirst guide your water intake. The color of urine can also guide you in maintaining your water intake, as it changes according to the ingestion. If your urine is white/light yellow, the intake is adequate, and if it is dark yellow and odorous, you need to increase the water intake.

To quote Mark Twain: “Water taken in moderation cannot hurt anybody”, emphasising on the importance of maintaining moderation. So next time you are about to binge on water, think again!

The writer is Consultantand Head of General Urology,Indian Spinal Injuries Centre

 

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