Water intoxication or drinking too much water in one go can have potentially fatal outcomes. Water poisoning or water intoxication can lead to life-threatening complications including brain swelling, seizures and even death. Earlier, a woman from Indiana died after intake of 64 ounces of water in just 20 minutes.
Heatwave can increase the risk of water poisoning
Hot and humid conditions can raise the risk of water intoxication as people may feel excessively thirsty or the need to compensate for water loss quickly. However, this can overwhelm your kidneys and dilute electrolytes, especially sodium.
What is water poisoning?
Water poisoning can occur when salt and electrolytes in the body get diluted after excessive intake of water and kidneys aren’t able to flush out all that water through urine. This can lead to bloating, polyurea, hyponatraemia (serum sodium concentration of less than 135 mEq/L), swelling, and poor metabolism.
Kidneys can only handle a limited amount of water at a time and downing excessive amounts of fluids in a short span of time can lead to serious consequences. From cells swelling up to heart attack like symptoms, all that extra water in your system can land you in a hospital.
Symptoms of water intoxication
-Feeling drowsy
– Muscle weakness or cramping
– Increase in blood pressure
– Double vision
– Confusion
– Inability to identify sensory information
– Difficulty breathing
Who’s at risk?
People with psychiatric disorders: A phenomenon called psychogenic polydipsia is encountered in patients with psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia. People suffering from this condition can drink excessive water, which can lead to hyponatremia and water intoxication.
Athletes: People participating in endurance sporting events, military training, or other high-exertion activities can suffer from water intoxication.
Research from NIH (National Institutes of Health) suggests that the condition affects around 3-6 million Americans every year, or at least one in 100 people.
How much water is too much in a day?
While there is no fixed guidelines on the amount of water a person needed to drink in a day as per CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), one must watch out for the excess consumption in a short period. Hyponatremia is an electrolyte abnormality that is caused due to excess of total body water in comparison with body sodium content. Your kidneys can be overwhelmed if your drink 3–4 liters of water within an hour or so and they are not able to get rid of it.
Amid heatwave, one is advised to consume around 8-10 glasses of water which is important to maintain a healthy balance of electrolytes in the body.
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