Doctors Warning After Woman Overdoses On Too Much Water

It turns out that too much of a good thing really can be dangerous.
Doctors have questioned the recommendation of ‘drinking plenty of fluids’ after a woman was treated for water intoxication.


The 59-year-old woman, who has not been named, had developed symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) and recalled being told by a doctor previously to drink lots of water – half a pint every 30 minutes – although she told doctors she may have consumed even more than that.

In an attempt to ‘flush out her system’, she inevitably ended up doing herself more harm as her sodium levels dropped dangerously low.
She spent 24 hours in hospital – long stretches of which she cannot remember – before she was discharged. During this time, doctors restricted her water intake to 1 litre for 24 hours.

Thirteen hours into the treatment, her sodium levels had increased to a normal level, and the woman was discharged later that day.
Water, just like any other substance, can be considered a poison when over-consumed in a specific period of time without adequate electrolyte intake.

When a person drinks too much water, they can develop a dangerous condition called hyponatremia – something that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low.

Also known as water poisoning or
hyperhydration, this is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside safe limits by overhydration.

It takes about 6 liters of water to kill a 165-pound person, according to the American Chemistry Society.

Surprisingly, death by water, or water intoxication as it’s officially known, happens quite a lot.
When a person drinks too much water the kidneys will struggle to flush it out as urine – this causes the excess water to enter the cells and cause them to swell.

If the cells in the brain begin swelling, it can be fatal.
Sodium is an electrolyte, and it helps regulate the amount of water that’s in and around your cells.
Symptoms of low sodium include nausea, vomiting and headaches.

In serious cases, it can cause swelling of the brain, which can lead to confusion, seizures, coma and even death.

In light of this, healthcare professionals have been reminded to be very specific when discussing fluid intake with patients.