From controlling body temperature and flushing out toxins, adequate hydration plays a vital role in our general health and well-being, water is a life essential. However, while dehydration garners significant attention, overhydration, or drinking excessive amounts of water, is a condition that can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences.

Although it may sound bizarre since drinking water is said to be the solution for most health related problems it is important to recognize how much water is considered "too much" or the risks involved with being overhydrated can maintain a healthy balance.

What Is Water Intoxication?

Water intoxication, also termed hyperhydration, water poisoning or water toxemia, develops when an individual drinks much more water than the kidney can excrete. The main function of the kidneys in the human body is the processing and excretion of excess water. However, the human kidneys can process only up to 0.8 to 1.0 liters of water at a time. Drinking an amount that exceeds this may overwhelm the kidneys and put the electrolyte balance out of sync in the human body.

Electrolytes, especially sodium, are essential in maintaining fluid balance within and outside cells. Hyponatremia is the condition when sodium levels fall below 135 mmol/L, resulting from excessive water intake. This causes water to shift into cells, swelling them. In the brain, this can cause severe complications, including coma or even death.

Symptoms of Water Intoxication

The symptoms of water intoxication vary from mild to severe. Early symptoms are often similar to dehydration, which makes self-diagnosis challenging. Common symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle cramps or weakness
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Confusion and disorientation

In more serious cases, water intoxication can cause seizures, loss of consciousness, or swelling in the brain. These complications can be fatal if left untreated.

A notable case occurred in 2007 when a woman participating in a water-drinking contest tragically died after consuming nearly two gallons of water in under two hours. More recently, actress Brooke Shields experienced a grand mal seizure attributed to excessive water consumption.

Causes of Water Intoxication

Water intoxication is rare, but certain scenarios can increase the risk:

1. Sporting Events and Endurance Training

These endurance athletes are prone to water intoxication, especially if they drink large amounts of water without replacing lost electrolytes. Hyponatremia usually happens during long races or marathons as individuals mistake fatigue and muscle cramps for dehydration and continue drinking water in excess.

2. Military Training

Overhydration among military personnel is usually due to severe physical activity in extreme environmental conditions. The total number of hyponatremia cases documented from 2007 through 2022 for the active duty in the United States exceeds 1,600, with a note to this problem on exertion-related overhydration.

3. Mental Health Conditions

Compulsive water drinking, known as psychogenic polydipsia, is linked with some mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and psychosis. People with these conditions tend to drink too much water, causing a hazardous electrolyte imbalance.

4. Drug Abuse

Drugs such as MDMA (ecstasy) raise the body temperature and make people thirsty, and at times, some people tend to drink excess water at events like music festivals. MDMA also leads to urine retention, thus exacerbating the dangers of water intoxication.

How Much Water Is Too Much?

The exact amount of water that causes intoxication varies from one person to another. However, drinking more than 1 liter of water per hour for several hours raises the risk. For healthy individuals, the risk of overhydration is low unless taking part in extreme physical activity or ignoring thirst cues.

Certain medical conditions, such as kidney or liver disorders, can impair the body's ability to process fluids, and even moderate water intake may be harmful. Similarly, certain medications, such as diuretics and antipsychotics, can affect the perception of thirst or fluid regulation.

How Much Water Is Enough?

The widely touted recommendation of eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day has little basis in fact. According to the National Academy of Medicine, a daily total fluid intake is about 15 cups (3.7 liters) for males and 11 cups (2.7 liters) for females, from beverage sources and from food. Usually, about 20 percent of daily hydration comes from foods such as fruits and vegetables.

A better rule of thumb is to listen to your body and drink water based on thirst. Use the color of your urine as an indicator:

• Light yellow urine indicates proper hydration.
• Dark yellow urine may indicate dehydration.

Older adults, whose thirst mechanisms may decline with age, should be proactive about maintaining hydration, especially during illness or hot weather.

Water Intoxication vs. Dehydration

The symptoms of water intoxication—such as headaches, fatigue, and muscle weakness—are similar to those of dehydration. If you are unsure which condition you are experiencing, seek medical attention immediately rather than self-treating with more water.

Preventing Water Intoxication

To avoid the dangers of overhydration:

• Drink water gradually throughout the day rather than consuming large amounts at once.
• Replace lost electrolytes post high-intensity exercise or heavy sweating.
• Consider using sports drinks or salty snacks to help replenish sodium.
• Keep track of fluid consumption during long-duration activities, and do not consume more water than the body is losing in terms of electrolytes.
• If on medications or have specific medical conditions, check with your doctor regarding the safety of drinking water.

For signs of severe water intoxication-including confusion, drowsiness, seizures, and loss of consciousness-customer is advised to seek medical assistance immediately. In the meanwhile, a salty snack would help to temporarily correct low sodium levels.

Hydration is important to health, but overhydration can be a serious risk; the secret is in finding a balance. Drink enough water to satisfy your body, but not so much that it overwhelms your system. Remember, water is life, but moderation keeps it that way.

Hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood). National Kidney Foundation. 2023.

Water Toxicity. NIH. 2023

Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia: 2017 Update. Front Med (Lausanne). 2017

Update: Exertional Hyponatremia Among Active Component Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 2007–2022

Parkinson's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder caused by the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells, primarily affecting people over 60. Apart from motor loss, the disease also causes cognitive decline, depression, anxiety and swallowing problems.

The first symptom may be a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand or sometimes a foot or the jaw. Over time, swinging your arms may become difficult and your speech may become soft or slurred. The disorder also causes stiffness, slowing of movement and trouble with balance that raises the risk of falls.

However, before clear symptoms begin to appear, Neurologist Rachel Dolhun says certain signs may help identify the onset of the disease decades before it is diagnosed.

“It’s important to stress that not everyone who has these symptoms goes on to develop Parkinson’s,” said neurologist Rachel Dolhun. “But we know that in some people, these can be some of the earliest signs," she told The Washington Post.

Here is what you should look out for:

1. Loss Of Smell

Loss of smell, or hyposmia, is a common and early non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease, affecting up to 90 percent of patients. This symptom can significantly impact quality of life by reducing the enjoyment of food and diminishing appetite.

While strongly linked to Parkinson's, smell loss can also stem from other causes, including sinus problems, COVID-19, or aging.

2. Acting Out Dreams

Acting out dreams, known as REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), involves physically enacting vivid, often unpleasant dreams through shouting, punching, or kicking during sleep.

This typically happens because the brainstem fails to temporarily paralyze muscles during REM sleep. It is a strong early warning sign of Parkinson's disease, often appearing years or decades before motor symptoms. About 50 percent of people with Parkinson's experience RBD.

READ MORE: Parkinson’s Patients May Soon Walk Better With This New Personalized Brain Therapy

3. Constipation

Constipation is a very common and significant non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease that is caused by nerve changes slowing gut muscles and potentially exacerbated by low activity and dehydration.

Constipation can also be caused by Parkinson's medications such as anticholinergics, amantadine and other common drugs such as opioids, iron/calcium antacids.

4. Dizziness As You Stand

The autonomic nervous system fails to properly constrict blood vessels or increase heart rate upon standing, often due to a lack of norepinephrine. This causes the autonomic nervous system to fail in regulating blood pressure. Over time, this leads to Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension.

Beyond dizziness, symptoms include blurred vision, weakness, fatigue, cognitive "fog," and "coat hanger pain" (pain in the neck/shoulders). Often times, patients experience dizziness in the morning or immediately after meals.

Diagnosing Parkinson’s disease is mostly a clinical process, meaning it relies heavily on a healthcare provider examining your symptoms, asking questions and reviewing your medical history. Various imaging and diagnostic tests used to detect disease includes CT scan, PET scan, MRI scan and genetic testing.

Health authorities have urged the public to stay alert to Nipah virus symptoms after doctors warned that up to 75 per cent of infected patients may not survive. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has classified Nipah as a “high priority pathogen” because of its severe fatality rate and the absence of any proven treatment.

In India, the federal health ministry has confirmed two cases in the eastern state of West Bengal. This has triggered large-scale containment measures, with local officials placing nearly 200 people who had contact with the infected individuals under quarantine.

Also Read: Vitamin D Supplements Under Scrutiny As It Fails Safety Test

In response, several Asian nations have stepped up airport checks and health surveillance for travellers arriving from India. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease specialist at the University of East Anglia, said identifying Nipah cases at borders is challenging, as symptoms can take a long time to appear.

What Is Nipah Virus?

According to UKHSA, Nipah virus is a zoonotic infection, meaning it can pass from animals to humans. It can also spread through contaminated food or via direct human-to-human contact. The virus was first discovered in 1999 during an outbreak affecting pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore.

Fruit bats, especially those belonging to the Pteropus species, are the virus’s natural carriers. Research shows that Nipah can also infect other animals, such as pigs, dogs, cats, goats, horses and sheep.

Nipah Virus Symptoms

• Sudden onset of fever or general flu-like illness
• Development of pneumonia and other breathing-related problems
• Swelling or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or meningitis

Symptoms usually appear between four and 21 days after exposure, although longer incubation periods have occasionally been reported. More severe complications, including encephalitis or meningitis, can develop between three and 21 days after the initial illness begins.

Also Read: Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: All That You Need To Know About This Infection

Nipah Virus Symptoms Explained As Doctors Warn 75% Fatality Rate

UKHSA has cautioned that between 40 and 75 per cent of people infected with Nipah virus may die. Those who survive can experience long-term neurological effects, such as ongoing seizures or changes in behaviour and personality. In rare instances, the virus has been known to reactivate months or even years after the first infection.

Nipah Virus: Can You Prevent It From Spreading?

For people travelling to regions where Nipah is known to occur, prevention largely involves reducing exposure risks:

• avoid contact with bats, their habitats, and sick animals
• do not drink raw or partially fermented date palm sap; if consuming date palm juice, make sure it has been boiled
• wash all fruits well with clean water and peel them before eating; avoid fruits found on the ground or those that appear partly eaten by animals
• use protective clothing and gloves when handling sick animals or during slaughter and culling
• maintain good hand hygiene, especially after caring for or visiting ill individuals
• avoid close, unprotected contact with anyone infected with Nipah virus, including exposure to their blood or bodily fluids

Nipah Virus Symptoms Can Be Transmitted Easily?

Many Nipah infections have been linked to eating fruit or fruit-based products contaminated by the saliva, urine or droppings of infected fruit bats. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through close contact with an infected person or their bodily fluids, according to Mirror.

Such transmission has been documented in India and Bangladesh, with cases often involving family members or caregivers tending to infected patients. At present, there is no specific, proven treatment for Nipah virus infection, and no licensed vaccine is available to prevent it.

So far, no Nipah virus cases have been reported in the United States or the United Kingdom.

Smoking has long been recognized as one of the most preventable causes of disease and early death worldwide. It plays a major role in heart attacks, strokes and several chronic illnesses. While public health messaging often focuses on how much a person smokes, new research suggests that when someone starts smoking may be just as important for long-term health.

A large nationwide study published in Scientific Reports analyzed health data from over nine million adults in South Korea. The findings were striking. People who began smoking before the age of 20 faced a significantly higher risk of stroke, heart attack and early death compared to those who started later, even if their total lifetime smoking exposure was similar.

Smoking Before 20: Why the age matters

Traditionally, doctors and researchers estimate smoking-related harm using pack-years, which combines the number of cigarettes smoked per day with the number of years a person has smoked. While this remains useful, the new study highlights an important gap. Two people with the same pack-years may not have the same health risks if one started smoking much earlier in life.

The researchers found that early starters had a much higher risk of stroke and heart attack than those who took up smoking after the age of 20. This suggests that the body may be especially vulnerable to tobacco damage during adolescence and early adulthood, making age of initiation an independent risk factor.

Smoking and stroke: what we already know

The link between smoking and stroke is well established. Long-term studies, including the famous Framingham Heart Study, have consistently shown that smokers are far more likely to experience a stroke than non-smokers. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked and affects people across age groups.

Smoking damages blood vessels, speeds up plaque build-up in arteries, raises blood pressure and makes blood more likely to clot. All of these changes increase the chances of both ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes. Younger adults who smoke are not protected simply because of their age, and in many cases, their relative risk is even higher.

Key findings from the Korean cohort

The study followed participants for nearly nine years using data from a mandatory national health screening programme. Researchers looked at stroke, heart attack, combined cardiovascular events and overall death rates.

Those who started smoking before 20 had about a 78 percent higher risk of stroke compared to non-smokers, especially when they also had high smoking exposure. Early starters also showed a much greater risk of heart attacks and combined cardiovascular events. Importantly, they had a higher risk of death from all causes, not just heart-related conditions. These patterns were consistent across men and women and across different metabolic health profiles.

Why early smoking causes greater harm

There are several reasons why smoking at a younger age may be more damaging. During adolescence, the heart, blood vessels and brain are still developing, which may make them more sensitive to toxins in tobacco smoke. Starting early is also linked to stronger nicotine dependence, making quitting harder and often leading to longer periods of smoking.

Early exposure may also trigger lasting inflammatory and metabolic changes in the body. These changes can increase stroke risk later in life, even when total cigarette exposure appears similar on paper.

What this means for public health

The findings send a clear message. Preventing smoking during adolescence could significantly reduce the future burden of stroke and heart disease. School-based education, strong warning messages and policies that limit youth access to tobacco remain critical.

Delaying smoking initiation, even by a few years, may have lifelong benefits. With cardiovascular diseases already among the leading causes of death globally, protecting young people from tobacco use is not just about avoiding addiction. It is about safeguarding their long-term health.