In Indiana, a family is grieving the death of a 35-year-old mother of two who passed away after consuming 64 ounces of water in 20 minutes, according to her family.
Devon Miller, Ashley Summers ‘ brother, claims that Ashley Summer began to feel very dehydrated as she was enjoying the Fourth of July on a lake in Indiana.
She began experiencing severe headaches at some time during the day. She was drinking a lot of water.
According to Miller, Summer drank the equivalent of four liters i.e. 64 ounces of water in 20 minutes before collapsing in her garage.
She got a headache and felt lightheaded, Miller said. Her relatives hurried her to the IU Health Arnett Hospital, but water intoxication claimed her life before she could recover consciousness.
Summers eventually passed away from what Miller said were symptoms of water intoxication, an uncommon but hazardous illness brought on by consuming excessive amounts of water quickly and upsetting the body’s electrolyte balance.
Overhydration symptoms may include “altered mental status, disorientation, confusion, nausea, and vomiting,” according to the study. Water intoxication can cause convulsions or coma if it is not treated quickly.
What is water toxicity?
Water poisoning and water intoxication are other terms for water toxicity.
It happens when a person drinks too much water in a short amount of time or when the kidneys retain too much water as a result of underlying medical issues.
Water poisoning symptoms include headaches, nausea, migraines, stiffness in the muscles, and nausea.
Why can one die from water toxicity?
Health professionals say that during the summer, if you work outside, or if you exercise regularly, you might become seriously dehydrated.
As a result, if someone accidentally drinks too much water in a short period of time, their body is likely to suddenly have too much water and not enough sodium.
It is advisable to consume fluids containing electrolytes, sodium, and potassium in cases of dehydration.
What is hyponatremia?
Hyponatremia is characterized by a low amount of sodium in the blood. The neurons, muscles, blood pressure, and fluid balance in your body all depend on salt.
Normal blood salt levels range from 135 to 145 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L). When your blood sodium level falls below 135 mEq/L, you get hyponatremia.
Extra water enters your cells when the sodium level in your blood is too low, causing the cells to expand. Since the brain cannot grow past the skull, this swelling can be particularly harmful to the brain.
What causes hyponatremia?
Too much water or fluid in the body might result in low blood sodium levels.
This “watering down” action gives the salt content a low appearance.
Low blood sodium levels can also result from sodium loss from the body or from fluid loss together with sodium loss.
It is possible for conditions and drugs to cause hyponatremia.
- Kidney disease may have a variety of causes, such as Kidney failure occurs when the body’s excess fluid cannot be eliminated by the kidneys.
- Congestive heart failure causes an accumulation of extra fluid in the body.
- Water medications, or diuretics, cause the body to excrete more salt in the urine.
- Antidepressants and painkillers may make you sweat or urinate more often than usual.
- severe diarrhea or vomiting, which causes the body to lose a lot of fluid and salt.
- Primary polydipsia, which results in excessive thirst, increases fluid consumption
What are the symptoms of hyponatremia?
If you have mild hyponatremia, you might not have any symptoms.
When the amount of salt in your blood decreases too quickly or too slowly, you may have symptoms.
In extreme circumstances, you can experience any of the following:
- vomiting or nauseous.
- weariness, uncertainty, a headache
- reduced blood pressure
- loss of power Weakness,
- twitching, or cramping in the muscles
- coma agitation, anger, or convulsions