Do You Know You Can Die From Drinking Too Much Water?

You've heard of the benefits of drinking water. But do you know you can die from drinking too much water? Most people won't believe this, but it's true.

In January 2007, Jennifer Strange was one of about 18 contestants who tried to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console by determining how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom. She guzzled almost 2 gallons (about 7.58 liters) of water. Several hours into the contest, Strange was interviewed on the air and complained that her head hurt. Several hours later, Strange was found dead in her home. The county coroner said preliminary autopsy findings indicate Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, died of water intoxication.

Water intoxication occurs when a person drinks so much water that the other nutrients in the body become diluted to the point that they can no longer do their jobs. It is also known as hyponatremia.

Sodium is an important electrolyte that helps regulates the body’s fluids. When the body’s sodium level is changed rapidly by drinking a lot of water, the extra water then causes the cells in the body to swell and malfunction. If it's caught early, treatment with IV fluids containing electrolytes can lead to a complete recovery; but untreated, hyponatremia can be fatal.

When somebody dies of water intoxication, it is usually caused by the combination of a very large amount of water (often 5 liters or more) over a relatively short period of time (minutes to hours).

Several high risk factors include:

• Gastroenteritis, particularly in infants and children: The severe diarrhea and vommiting associated with gastroenteritis can result in very large electrolyte losses. Drinking water will replace lost water and avoid dehydration, but if the person is unable to take any other drink or food then lost electrolytes will not be replaced, which can result in water intoxication.
  
  
• Endurance sports: Some of the most famous cases of water intoxication have involved athletes. They got in trouble because they were losing larges amounts of both water and sodium in their sweat but they were replacing their fluid loses with water only. The use of electrolyte solutions instead of water to prevent dehydration reduces the risk substantially.

• Binge Drinking: There have been at least two reported cases of people dying from binge drinking as part of drinking contests and fraternity hazing.
  
• Drug Use: Water intoxication has occurred in people trying to dilute their urine to pass a drug test. There have been at least two cases of teenagers dying after using Ecstasy and then drinking excessive water. Impairment of the kidney’s ability to remove the extra fluid by the drugs (particularly Ecstasy) was an important factor in their deaths.
  
  
• Low Body Mass (infants): It can be very easy for children under a year old to absorb too much water – especially if the child is under nine months old, because with their small body mass, it is easy to take in a large amount of water relative to body mass.
  

Water intoxication can be prevented if a person's intake of water and electrolytes closely matches his or her losses. Avoid situations that provoke extreme or prolonged perspiration. Drinking fluids that are specially balanced to replace lost electrolytes can also help to prevent intoxication. Eating regularly can provide needed electrolytes if only normal water is available for rehydration.

For additional reading:

• Wikipedia - Water Intoxication
• HowStuffWorks - How can someone die from drinking too much water
• FoxNews - Authorities investigate case of woman dying after water-drinking contest