In a relatively rare occurrence, an American mother of two died last month after drinking too much water too quickly during a scorching hot day.
She had been enjoying a family day at a lake when she complained of feeling dehydrated and light-headed, and having a terrible thirst, reports The Independent.
After drinking multiple bottles of water in a short timespan, she went home where she passed out.
Although her family got her to the hospital quickly, she never regained consciousness, succumbing to water toxicity.
“Someone said she drank four bottles of water in 20 minutes…That’s what you’re supposed to drink in a whole day,” her brother said.
“It’s fairly rare,” said Dr Alok Harwani, a physician at the hospital where she died. “Your kidneys can really only clear about a litre of water per hour.”
He advised – if spending time outdoors in hot weather – to eat fruit or drink anything containing electrolytes, apart from plain water, to help maintain the balance of water and sodium in the blood.
The Independent article – Indiana woman dies from drinking too much water (Open access)
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