The danger of drinking too much water


Drinking too much water can actually be deadly. This was the case for 36-year-old daycare worker, Ashley Summers, who died after drinking "four bottles of water in ... 20 minutes," while on a vacation with family, Summers' brother Devon Miller told WLFI News. This is due to a condition called water toxicity.
Water toxicity is when someone "drinks too much water too fast, throwing off the body's electrolyte balance and causing the body's sodium levels to drop rapidly," Insider wrote. The condition itself is uncommon and the amount required to reach this level varies by person. "If you have too much water, it's going to basically push that water into cells to kind of balance out that sodium and other electrolyte concentrations," Dr. Mahesh Polavarapu, medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Westchester, told CBS News. "So as that happens, your brain cells and other cells in your body start to swell."
Sodium maintains blood pressure and is necessary for healthy body functioning. A person is more at risk when drinking after heavy endurance exercise or if they have preexisting kidney problems. "If you drink too much pure water, the solutes in your body have to distribute into additional space and you can get electrolyte disturbances that cause major problems in the brain and you can get seizures," Dr. David Metz, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, told CBS News.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, "this is not something you should be worrying about," Polavarapu continued. If you are thirsty, you should drink enough to feel hydrated. "People think about thirst as the thing that drives them to drink water, thirst is almost a later sign of dehydration, so don't try to wait for that to happen."
If you do feel very thirsty, break up water intake with "drinks like Gatorade or snacks like fruits and vegetables to replenish electrolytes." per Insider.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
August 24 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Putin at Donald Trump's circus, gallons of whitewash, and a foldable cartoon
-
5 Post Office-approved cartoons about mail-in voting
Cartoons Artists take on reverse logic, Putin's election advice, and more
-
The battle of the weight-loss drugs
Talking Point Can Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly regain their former stock market glory? A lot is riding on next year's pills
-
A new subtype of diabetes was found and it may require different treatment
Under the radar It is prevalent in Black Africans and Americans
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreak
Speed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agency
Speed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Food may contribute more to obesity than exercise
Under the radar The devil's in the diet
-
Scientists are developing artificial blood for use in emergencies
Under the radar It could aid in global blood shortages
-
Babies born using 3 people's DNA lack hereditary disease
Under the Radar The method could eliminate mutations for future generations
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?
Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs