Many U.S. adults are uncertain how much water to drink and how many times it is normal to go to the bathroom.
Dr. Philippe Zimmern, professor of urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, says patients ask him every day: "How much should I drink per day?"
Patients worry about excessive bathroom breaks or fear they might damage their kidneys by not drinking enough water, according to Zimmern.
"Your kidneys filter your blood and produce urine," Dr. Zimmern says. "The more you drink, the more urine your kidneys eliminate because there is no room in your body to store all this fluid. Fluid retention can occur with kidney or heart failure, but generally not otherwise."
Zimmern suggests the average adult should drink no more than six to eight glasses -- approximately 64 ounces -- of fluids a day and have about six to eight bathroom breaks a day.
© Copyright 2006 by United Press International
