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

As December rolls in, familiar melodies float through malls, train stations and sometimes right outside your front door. Carol groups wrapped in tinsel bring a warm sense of nostalgia. Their voices rise in unison, cheerful and bright, filling cold evenings with a comfort that feels almost instinctive. What most people do not realize is that this seasonal tradition may be giving the singers themselves a genuine health lift.

Researchers have been exploring this for years, and their findings suggest that singing is far more than a joyful holiday hobby. It strengthens social bonds, supports emotional wellbeing and even offers physical benefits that reach deep into the brain and lungs.

Why Singing Feels So Good

Alex Street, a researcher at the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, describes singing as a cognitive, physical, emotional and social act, as reported by BBC. When people sing, especially in groups, the brain lights up in ways few other activities can replicate. Regions responsible for language, movement and emotion get activated at the same time. The steady breathing that singing requires also prompts the release of endorphins, which brings on feelings of pleasure and reduces pain.

Psychologists have long noted how even strangers can develop a sense of togetherness after singing side by side for just an hour. This may explain why community choirs often feel like extended families.

A Simple Workout with Surprising Benefits

Beyond the emotional high, singing demands more from the body than many expect. Studies have shown that it can improve heart rate, circulation and blood pressure. The controlled breathing and longer exhalations strengthen the lungs in ways similar to moderate physical activity. Some researchers even compare a singing session with a brisk walk.

BBC reports that Adam Lewis, an associate professor of respiratory physiotherapy at the University of Southampton, notes that singing encourages people to use their respiratory muscles more efficiently. This is one reason why it has become a useful complementary tool for people living with chronic lung conditions.

Healing Through Harmony

One of the most profound uses of singing is in therapy for people recovering from brain injuries or neurological illnesses. Music therapists often rely on songs from childhood to help patients regain speech or movement. The story of former US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is one of the most well known examples, reports BBC. After surviving a severe brain injury, she regained her speech partly through singing familiar melodies during therapy sessions.

Similar approaches have been used with stroke survivors, patients with Parkinson’s disease and people living with dementia. Singing provides repeated vocal practice, encourages focus, and stimulates both sides of the brain. Experts also believe that it may help slow cognitive decline in older adults, although long term studies are still needed.

A Gentle Way Back to Community

For many people living with chronic illness, joining a choir brings something even more meaningful than physical gains. It offers a space where patients, caregivers and professionals participate as equals. Street describes these shared moments as a rare kind of unity that dissolves labels and replaces them with a sense of belonging.

As researchers learn more about the power of song, the message becomes clearer. Singing is not just entertainment. It is a tool for connection, a low cost therapy and a way to strengthen both mind and body. So this festive season, joining a group around the Christmas tree might be more beneficial than you think.

Delhi's Air Quality Index today recorded 'severe' in several location. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data from 40 monitoring stations from across the city showed AQI above 401 at 7.05 am on Wednesday morning. City's average AQI stood at 376.

While it has only been three days into December, the AQI levels have undergone severe changes. On November 30, Delhi's AQI was recorded at 279, on December 1, it was recorded at 304, while on December 2, the AQI went up to 372.

Amid all this, Dr Ritu Singh, Director Professor and HOD, Department of Biochemistry at Lady Hardinge Medical College posted on her Instagram, what she calls the 'only steps to save your lungs in Delhi".

What Does the Doctor Say?

"If you’re living in Delhi right now, the first line of protection is simple: avoid breathing unfiltered air. If you can’t leave the city, wear an N95 mask every time you step outside or move away from a HEPA-filtered space," says Dr Ritu Singh.

The doctor points out that keeping a high quality HEPA filter at home and at your workplace is essential. She points out that though it may be expensive, but one should know that their "lungs are not replaceable". She says, "Yes, spend all your hard earned money on HEPA filters because the lung is not replaceable."

What Is HEPA Filter? How Does It Help?

As per the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HEPA or also known as the high efficiency particulate air is a type of filter that can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm). The diameter specification of 0.3 microns corresponds to the worst case; the most penetrating particle size (MPPS). Particles that are larger or smaller are trapped with even higher efficiency. Using the worst case particle size results in the worst case efficiency rating (i.e. 99.97% or better for all particle sizes).

What Else Can Be Done To Stay Safe From Air Pollution?

Dr Singh suggests that indoor plants could be added, though it could only offer a "small but meaningful improvement in air quality".

One famous NASA experiment, published in 1989, found that indoor plants can scrub the air of cancer-causing volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde and benzene.

These plants are:

• Spider Plant
• Snake Plant
• Peace Lilly
• Aloe Vera
• Boston Fern
• English Ivy
• Rubber Plant
• Golden Photos
• Bamboo Palm
• Dracaena

The doctor also recommends that one should increase their intakes of antioxidant foods. "Increase your antioxidant intake—turmeric, amla, oranges—these won’t fix pollution, but they help your body cope with oxidative stress.”

Antioxidants strengthen the immune system by fighting oxidative stress, which is caused by unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS). The body's normal processes, like breathing and metabolism, create free radicals (ROS). Antioxidants donate electrons to these unstable molecules, which neutralizes them and stops them from damaging healthy cells.

"Right now, the goal is extremely clear: prevent inhalation of polluted air. Delhi’s current levels are dangerous for the lungs, the heart, and the entire respiratory system," the doctor says.

India is only second in the world to have people with chronic kidney diseases in 2023, said The Lancet study. In 2023, China recorded 152 million patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), while India was at 138 million.

The study, led by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, along with collaborators in the U.S. and the U.K., found that CKD was the ninth-leading cause of death worldwide, claiming nearly 15 lakh lives in 2023.

Regionally, the highest prevalence was reported in North Africa and the Middle East (18% each), followed by South Asia (nearly 16%), and more than 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

In fact, senior director and HOD Nephrology at Medanta Kidney and Urology Institute, Dr Shyam Bansal says, "Chronic kidney disease is one of the fastest-growing chronic illnesses in India, mainly because diabetes and hypertension are becoming more common. Diabetes now affects about 10% of the population and hypertension nearly 25%, and together they remain the leading causes of kidney disease."

The report also highlighted CKD’s strong link to heart disease. It contributed to almost 12% of global cardiovascular deaths in 2023 and ranked as the seventh-leading cause of heart-related mortality, ahead of diabetes and obesity.

The researchers outlined 14 key risk factors for CKD, with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity contributing the most to the loss of healthy life. Dietary habits—such as low intake of fruits and vegetables and high sodium consumption, also played a significant role in raising CKD risk.

“Chronic kidney disease is both a major risk factor for other leading causes of health loss and a significant disease burden in its own right. Yet, it continues to receive far less policy attention than other non-communicable diseases, even as its impact grows fastest in regions already facing the greatest health inequities,” said senior author Theo Vos, professor emeritus at IHME.

The findings draw on data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, which tracked trends in diseases, injuries, and health risk factors across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023.

Importance of Early Detection Of Chronic Kidney Disease

Importantly, the authors noted that most people with CKD in 2023 were in the early stages, highlighting the urgent need for strong screening programmes and strategies to reduce risk before the disease advances.

This is why its early diagnosis is utmost important. Dr Bansal on the need for early detection says, "“The biggest challenge is identifying people at risk as early as possible. Early diagnosis and timely control of risk factors are essential if we want to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease."

Early detection could also reduce heart-related deaths due to kidney disease and delay one's requirement for replacement therapies, which is usually sought in advanced stages of the disease.

Dr Bansal also points out that early detection could help one live a better life and also in many ways reduce the burden on the Indian healthcare system, and save cost. "We are dealing with a large population at risk, and kidney disease is complex and costly to treat. While infrastructure and specialist availability are improving, managing this growing burden remains a significant challenge," he says.