Is it good to drink too much water in summer?

The weather is hot in the summer and the body sweats constantly, so we need to replenish water in time. People often say that we must drink more water in the summer. In fact, if you drink too much water in the summer, it will cause water poisoning. Generally, our human body has the ability to regulate water, but the regulation ability has a certain limit. If the human body takes in too much water in a short period of time, it will increase the burden on the kidneys, causing the kidneys to be unable to excrete excess water from the body for a while, which will cause water poisoning.

Misconceptions about drinking water in summer

1. Drink ice water to quench your thirst

Drinking ice water will cause the gastrointestinal mucosa to suddenly become cold, causing the originally open capillaries to contract, causing gastrointestinal discomfort or even diarrhea.

It’s not that you can’t drink ice water, you just need to pay attention to the temperature. Generally speaking, water at 10 to 20 degrees Celsius is more suitable for drinking in summer, as it can quench thirst and cool down without irritating the digestive tract mucosa.

2. Drink tea at night

In summer, due to the hot weather and long days and short nights, it is easy to cause poor sleep quality. Drinking tea at night will further affect sleep.

Because tea, like coffee and cola, is also a stimulant beverage and contains a certain amount of caffeine. Therefore, it is better to drink warm boiled water at night.

3. Drink when you are thirsty

When you are thirsty, drinking a large glass of water may lead to "water intoxication", which is a physiological dysfunction of the human body caused by electrolyte imbalance.

After sweating a lot, if a person drinks a lot of water quickly in a short period of time, the cells will swell and cause hyponatremia, which can cause symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, weakness, rapid heartbeat, and in severe cases, convulsions, coma, and even life-threatening.

Small amounts and multiple times are the most appropriate.

4. Drinking sports drinks is better than drinking water

Unless you are doing heavy physical labor or exercising a lot, you usually don't need to drink sports drinks. Adding a little salt to warm boiled water or drinking light tea can meet the body's needs for electrolytes.

5. Drink water only when you are thirsty

When you feel thirsty, your body has already lost at least 1% of its water. Long-term dehydration will increase blood viscosity and induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Therefore, whether you are thirsty or not, you should drink water in time. Carry a bottle of water with you when you go out and take a sip at any time.

6. Don’t drink water during exercise, but drink plenty of water after exercise

Intense exercise causes the body to consume a large amount of calories, and the functions of the body's organs and systems are at a relatively low level. If you drink a lot of water at this time, it will inevitably cause excessive burden on the heart, irritate the gastrointestinal tract, and cause "stomach pain" etc.

When replenishing water during exercise, you should pay attention to "drinking small amounts frequently" and "don't drink water until you feel thirsty".

First, drink enough water before exercising. Two hours before exercise, you need to drink 500 ml of boiled water;

During exercise, drink some light salt water to replenish the sodium ions lost during exercise;

After exercise, you should promptly replenish your body with "sports" or "functional" drinks containing electrolytes to promote the recovery of glycogen.

7. Drink plenty of water while taking gastric ulcer medicine

Drugs for treating gastric ulcers will turn into countless insoluble tiny particles when entering the stomach, and cover the damaged gastric mucosa like powder. This way, the gastric mucosa can be protected from erosion by gastric acid, and new tissue can slowly grow to fill the ulcer surface and restore its original function.

When taking this type of medicine, if you drink a lot of water it will dilute the medicine, reducing the number of drug particles covering the damaged gastric mucosa, thinning the protective film and losing its therapeutic effect.

Therefore, when taking medicine to treat gastric ulcers, you only need to swallow the tablets with water. Do not drink more water. Drink water after half an hour. Some stomach medicines only need to be chewed and swallowed directly without drinking water. Be sure to read the instructions carefully before taking the medicine.

8. Drink hot water when taking capsules

The main material of the capsule shell is water-soluble gelatin, which will quickly melt and dissolve in hot water, and the medicine inside will be released in advance. If the drug stays in the esophagus, it may damage the mucosa. For some live bacteria preparations, too high water temperature will inactivate the live bacteria and make them lose their efficacy.

It is recommended to drink a few sips of water to lubricate the esophagus before taking the capsule, then put the capsule into your mouth and swallow the medicine as you normally would, and finally drink the remaining water to ensure that the capsule is flushed into the stomach. The water temperature should not exceed 40°C.