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

A small implanted device that stimulates the vagus nerve may offer substantial and lasting relief for people with severe treatment-resistant depression, according to a large multicenter clinical trial.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, showed that improvements in depressive symptoms, quality of life, and daily functioning were sustained for at least two years in most patients who responded to treatment.

Notably, more than 20% of treated participants (39 patients) were in remission after two years, meaning their depressive symptoms had improved enough for them to function normally in daily life.

"We were shocked that one in five patients was effectively without depressive symptoms at the end of two years," said lead author Charles Conway, professor of psychiatry and director of Washington University's Treatment Resistant Mood Disorders Center.

Depression Remains A Major Health Burden

Earlier this week, Republican Tom Kean Jr. revealed that he had been diagnosed with depression, explaining his absence from public life for more than 100 days.

He is far from alone. About 20% of U.S. adults experience major depression during their lifetime. While most people improve after antidepressants or psychotherapy, up to one-third develop treatment-resistant depression, in which standard treatments fail to provide adequate relief.

Study Focused on the Most Severe Cases

The RECOVER trial, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, enrolled nearly 500 patients across 84 sites in the US. On average, participants had:

• Lived with depression for 29 years
• Tried 13 unsuccessful treatments
• Undergone therapies including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Three-quarters were too ill to work.

"We believe the sample in this trial represents the sickest treatment-resistant depressed patient sample ever studied in a clinical trial," Conway said.

"There is a dire need to find effective treatments for these patients, who often have no other options. With this kind of chronic, disabling illness, even a partial response to treatment is life-altering, and with vagus nerve stimulation, we're seeing that benefit is lasting," he added.

Benefits Lasted for Two Years

The VNS Therapy System, manufactured by LivaNova USA, Inc., involves implanting a small device beneath the skin of the chest. The device delivers carefully calibrated electrical pulses to the left vagus nerve, which serves as a major communication pathway between the brain and internal organs.

Although every participant received an implant, only half had their devices activated during the first year, allowing researchers to compare outcomes.

The latest analysis focused on 214 patients whose devices were activated from the beginning of the study.

Among them:

• About 69% (147 patients) achieved a meaningful improvement in at least one outcome after 12 months.
• More than 80% of those responders maintained or improved those benefits after 24 months.
• Among patients with a substantial response after one year, 92% continued to experience benefits two years later.

Conway noted that even a 30% improvement can dramatically change the lives of patients with severe depression, who often struggle to carry out basic daily activities and face a higher risk of hospitalization or early death.

Some Patients Improved Later

The study also found that recovery may take longer for some people.

Nearly one-third of participants who had not responded after the first year reported meaningful improvements by the end of the second year, suggesting prolonged stimulation may continue to produce benefits.

Researchers also observed consistently low relapse rates among patients who improved, particularly among those with the strongest responses.

In the last few years, biohacker and longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has become famous for maintaining a picture-perfect health in order to defy the norms of aging.

But this week, Johnson shared a shocking health update with his followers. He said that he has been diagnosed with Autoimmune Gastritis (AIG), a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the stomach lining. He said, “My stomach is eating itself.”

Bryan Johnson's Diagnosis Of Autoimmune Gastritis

Despite years of optimizing his body, Bryan’s Johnson Autoimmune Gastritis diagnosis shocked the internet. While his strict routines, meticulous diet, and million-dollar anti-ageing protocol continue to inspire millions, they also receive equal amounts of skepticism and criticism.

Johnson recently revealed that he had struggled with persistently low iron stores for nearly 11 years, despite taking supplements.

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He said that a detailed evaluation confirmed Autoimmune Gastritis, an illness that damages the acid-producing cells of the stomach. The condition can impair absorption of iron and vitamin B12 and may increase the long-term risk of gastric cancer.

He also disclosed that he has autoimmune thyroid disease, suggesting that multiple autoimmune conditions may be interconnected in his case.

Amid his diagnosis, Johnson's journey raises a practical question: Which of his longevity habits are genuinely backed by science and worth adopting, and which remains experimental?

Five Bryan Johnson Habits That Are Actually Worth Copying

Prioritising Sleep

Among all longevity interventions, sleep has the strongest scientific backing. Johnson consistently aims for a regular sleep schedule and treats sleep as a primary health priority. Unlike expensive biohacks, sleeping 7 to 9 hours consistently benefits almost everyone.

Research has linked quality sleep with:

• Better immune function

• Lower cardiovascular risk

• Improved memory

• Better metabolic health

• Reduced inflammation

Read more: Ebola Deaths In DRC Top 500 With At Least 1528 Cases Reported; What Makes This Outbreak Different & Deadlier?

Eating Whole, Plant-Based Foods

Johnson follows a predominantly plant-based diet rich in vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats.

While optimal health is not connected with veganism, evidence supports that diets including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and nuts are associated with lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, and several cancers.

Exercising Consistently

Johnson combines strength training, cardiovascular exercises, mobility exercises, and walking throughout the day to stay healthy and fit.

Research, too, recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week to enhance longevity.

Tracking Basic Health Markers

One of Johnson's greatest takeaways from his blueprint is tracking basic health markers. His long-standing low ferritin eventually prompted further investigation that disclosed his autoimmune gastritis.

It reminds us that routine health check-ups often identify silent diseases before symptoms appear. For most people, daily monitoring should include:

• Blood pressure

• Blood sugar

• Cholesterol

• Iron levels

• Vitamin B12 if deficient or vegetarian

• Thyroid function when indicated

Read more: Men Account For Nearly 3 Out Of 4 Suicides In India — Are We Ignoring A Growing Men's Mental Health Crisis?

Avoiding Smoking And Drinking Alcohol

Bryan avoids alcohol and tobacco completely. Research consistently suggests that avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol significantly reduce risks of cancer, liver disease, heart disease, stroke and other chronic lifestyle disorders.

Which Parts Of Bryan Johnson's Routine Are Controversial?

• Hundreds of daily supplements

• Intensive biomarker testing far beyond routine medical recommendations

• Experimental anti-ageing therapies

• Frequent advanced imaging

• Highly personalised protocols based on proprietary algorithms

Many of these approaches have not been proven to extend lifespan in humans, and experts caution against assuming that more testing or consuming supplements automatically leads to better health.

Every year on July 6, we mark World Zoonoses Day. The date marks the day in 1885 when Louis Pasteur gave the first rabies vaccine. It falls right in the middle of our monsoon, which is exactly when zoonotic diseases claim the most lives. So this year, instead of a routine health advisory, let us go through the questions I get asked most often, by patients, by family, and honestly, by fellow doctors too.

Q: What Is A Zoonotic Disease?

A zoonosis is any disease that spreads from animals to humans. The animal could be a rat, a dog, a bat, or even livestock in your backyard. Sometimes the animal itself looks perfectly healthy while carrying the germ that makes us sick. About six out of every ten infectious diseases known to affect humans started in animals at some point. COVID reminded the whole world of this. We have been living with zoonotic threats for years, quietly, every rainy season.

Q: Which Zoonotic Diseases Does India deal with most commonly?

If I had to list the usual suspects, it would be this:

• Leptospirosis
• Scrub typhus
• Nipah virus, linked to fruit bats, with Kerala's Kozhikode and Malappuram having seen outbreaks in past years
• Rabies from animal bites, mainly dogs and cats, and occasionally other animals

Q: So Which Of These Actually Rise During The Monsoon, And Why?

Leptospirosis is the one that rises sharply and predictably every single monsoon. The bacteria live in the kidneys of rats and other rodents and are released into soil and water through their urine. When the rains come, our fields, drains, and waterlogged roads become the perfect place for the infection to spread. Anyone walking barefoot through flood water, working in paddy fields, or wading through stagnant water near their home is at risk.

Scrub typhus rises a little later, once the rain eases and people go back into overgrown fields and gardens to clear vegetation, exposing themselves to the mite larvae hiding there. Our own data from KIMSHEALTH, based on 241 patients over seven years, shows this pattern clearly. Cases start climbing in September, peak in December, and drop off by January.

This means the disease follows the cool, humid weeks right after the monsoon leaves, not the rainy months themselves. Low temperature and high humidity suit the mites best, which is why the weeks just after the monsoon, not the heavy rain itself, are scrub typhus season. Our data also showed a smaller rise between June and August, so the risk is actually spread across two windows around the monsoon, not just one.

This year, our own health department figures have already shown this pattern. Fever clinics across the state have been seeing well over 10,000 patients a day at the peak, with leptospirosis and Shigella infections climbing sharply. Northern districts of Kerala Kannur, Kozhikode, and Malappuram have reported some of the sharper spikes, and rat fever sadly remains the biggest killer among these in most years.

Q: What about Nipah?

Nipah is not strictly a monsoon disease. It tends to appear when fruit bats are under stress, often during their breeding season or when their natural food is disrupted. Kerala has had confirmed cases in recent years. The good news is that Kerala now has one of the fastest outbreak response systems in the country for Nipah, with quick contact tracing and isolation.

Q: What can we do to protect ourselves?

For leptospirosis:

• Avoid walking barefoot through flood water or muddy fields, especially if you have any cuts or wounds on your feet
• Wash your legs and feet well with soap after any contact with flood water or waterlogged areas
• If you must work in fields or clean drains during the monsoon, wear boots and gloves
• Doxycycline tablets taken as prevention work well for people at high risk, such as farmers, sanitation workers, and flood relief volunteers. Please take this only on your doctor's advice, at the right dose and timing
• Keep the rat population around your home and workplace under control. This sounds like a small thing, but it matters more than any tablet

For scrub typhus:

• Avoid sitting directly on grass or vegetation when you go out for farm work or a walk in overgrown areas
• Wear long sleeves and full-length trousers when clearing bushes

For rabies:

• Any animal bite, however small it looks, needs immediate washing of the wound with soap and running water for at least fifteen minutes, followed by a visit to a doctor for vaccination
• Do not wait to see if the animal "seems fine." Rabies is fatal once symptoms begin, with no exceptions
• Get your own pets vaccinated regularly. This protects your family as much as your animal

Q: When Should Someone Actually Go See A Doctor?

See a doctor without delay if you have a fever along with any of the following:

• Fever lasting more than two days, especially if you have had recent contact with flood water, muddy fields, or rodents
• Severe muscle pain, especially in the calves, along with fever
• Yellowish color in the eyes or skin
• Passing less urine than usual
• Bleeding from gums, nose, or skin rashes with fever
• Severe body ache
• Breathlessness or confusion along with fever
• Any animal bite, no matter how small it seems

Leptospirosis in particular can look just like an ordinary viral fever in its first two or three days, and then get worse quickly, leading to kidney failure or bleeding problems. Starting antibiotics early makes a big difference to the outcome. This is not a disease where it is safe to simply wait and watch.