Are We Dringking Enough Water? Is it always Good For US?

Our body is 70 % water, more in some organs and less than in others. Sure when I feel thirsty I will drink but that is because I am aware that my kidney will get rid of the surplus.

Picture A. Extra Water.
Not always good for you.

Key Considerations of this article: diuretics, alcohol, beer, tea, coffee, iodized, chlorinated, anuria, dysuria, broncho dilators, salt, congestive heart failure, ankle edema, salt intake.

The following is a list of conditions, when drinking according to feeling thirsty may not be the right thing.

1. If you have problems with your kidneys (anuria, dysuria, renal failure) do not drink when you feel thirsty. You will drown yourself and die or you will need immediate dialysis. For more information see my full article: http://www.quazen.com/Health/Nursing/Control-your-Blood-Pressure-with-or-without-medications.-Learn-how-and-choose-what-is-best-for-you.1189
2. If you suffer from congestive heart failure then it is a good idea to drink less because the back pressure building up in the lungs makes it difficult to breathe. In this situation, you will need a diuretic to get rid of excess water.
3. If you are short of breath, you will need to find out the underlying reason for it. It is not always possible to take a few extra breaths. There is work involved in breathing. If the work of breathing is more than the benefit of the breath then it is not the solution.
4. The work of breathing can be decreased by
   1. using broncho dilators. For more details please see: Improve your breathing without medications
   2. The patient / person with breathing difficulty should seek medical advice. For home remedies please see Respiratory Tract Infections Treatment & management
   3. In some situations placing the patient in the right position will help. For more details see: Patient Positions for Nurses

5. If you have ankle edema, you should see your doctor to evaluate your condition.
6. If you wake up at four in the morning, have a bought of cough and then go back to sleep you are probably in the early stages of heart failure. See your doctor, and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.

It is true that doctors suggest drinking plenty of water but that advice is for the healthy individual and is not for universal application.

Last but not least, our thirst is manipulated by what we eat. What makes us thirsty?

1. If we eat salty foods we will feel more thirsty. We will drink more and our blood pressure will rise.
2. If we eat dry foods we will feel thirstier (more thirsty) than when we eat moist foods with more water content. If we are feeling nauseated but thirsty; it may be a good idea to defer drinking until the nausea disappears or we have taken a medication. If we are nauseated, and we drink, we will loose the water we have just consumed, some water from the stomach and all the electrolytes in the stomach.
3. If we live in a dry environment, eg Alberta we will feel more thirsty, and if we are healthy it would be alright to drink and pee more.
4. Consuming lots of diuretics also make us thirsty. Diuretics in ordinary use include beer, tea, coffee, and alcohol.

Some writers are of the view that the water we drink must be 100% pure. If we all drank pure water the incidence of decaying teeth, gum diseases, thyroid diseases would rise. You need not believe me, just look at the statistics.

Many authors are of the view that bottled water is better. In my university we did a detailed analysis of tap water and bottled water from five local suppliers. The tap water had lower bacterial counts, higher oxygen content and was iodized.

The companies selling bottled water simply took the local tap water, passed it through extra filters and sold it at 100,000 times the price of tap water. My immediate family, my relatives and friends are discouraged from buying bottled spring water. In my life time I have bought one bottle of bottled water.

Kristie, concludes by saying, listen to yourself and go with the flow. I disagree. I am of the view that you need to know what is good and right for you. You owe it to yourself to do what is best for you. Know what is best, it will have positive gains for you, your immediate family and community.