Ways To Treat Overhydration
The concerns regarding dehydration are real, and many individuals worry about drinking enough water to prevent it. However, many individuals do not stop to think about the effect of too much water on their body. It may not even cross someone's mind that it’s possible to drink too much water, but it is. Overhydration causes electrolytes in the body to dilute. When the salt levels are too low, the body goes into hyponatremia, which can cause serious health problems if not treated properly. While it’s very rare for someone to die from drinking too much water, it can happen if they do not seek treatment immediately. Learn about the appropriate treatments for overhydration now.
Lower Fluid Intake
When individuals lower their fluid intake, they are quickly able to get a head start on treating overhydration. Individuals cannot allow the salt and electrolytes in the body to become even more diluted or they’ll suffer from worse health problems. Lowering fluid intake means more than not drinking as much water. It’s best to lower or cease all fluid intake until patients have a chance to see their doctor. This is almost always the first thing a doctor will recommend as treatment, but the other options a doctor chooses to use to treat overhydration depend on how serious a patient's fluid retention levels are. Not all individuals suffer from overhydration because they drank too much. Some suffer because their body is retaining water.
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Replace Sodium When The Condition Is Severe
When individuals suffer from overhydration, one way to help the body’s salt intake and electrolyte production is to replace sodium when the condition is severe. Individuals spend their entire life hearing that eating too much salt is bad, but they must consume sodium to keep their body working properly. If individuals are suffering from overhydration, they can eat something salty to help replace the diluted sodium. Pretzels, salty chips, and anything with a high sodium content can help replace sodium. The caveat to this is anyone who suffers from a kidney condition or a hormonal imbalance should not eat salty food. The sodium in the tissues of individuals who suffer from these health concerns can further retain water, causing more damage to the body.
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Treat The Underlying Condition
The best way to handle overhydration is to treat the underlying condition causing it. If individuals have an underlying condition such as a kidney problem or a hormonal imbalance, they must treat it using the proper methods their doctor has advised. Individuals with kidney disease are most susceptible to overhydration, but those who take certain antidepressants are also prone to this kind of health concern. Certain hormonal issues cause the pituitary glands to secrete too much of something called vasopressin, which stimulates the kidneys. When this happens, the kidneys begin to retain water they do not need, which can cause overhydration.
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Cease Medication Causing Overhydration
As discussed above, certain medications such as antidepressants can cause overhydration in some individuals. However, it’s imperative for patients to speak with a doctor prior to stopping the use of any medication. Antidepressants are the most common medication that causes overhydration, and it goes without saying stopping the use of antidepressants is a dangerous call to make without a medical professional. Patients must have a second treatment method on hand when they cease the use of antidepressants or change the one they are taking. In some cases, the doctor might want to monitor patients immediately after they stop taking medications to clearly keep account of the effects.
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Take Diuretics To Increase Urine Output
Another great way to deal with overhydration is to take diuretics to increase urine output to help excrete some of the fluid in the body. Again, this is not a treatment method patients should try without first consulting a doctor, who will want to diagnose the cause, discuss other treatments that might work faster or more efficiently, or discuss how taking this kind of medication might affect the patient's current health conditions and other medications. Individuals should never take a new medication until they discuss the potential side effects with a medical professional. However, taking diuretics is a quick and easy solution to this potentially dangerous health condition, provided it is done appropriately.