Drinking Too Much Water When It’s Hot Can Actually Be Deadly

As the temperatures continue to skyrocket across north central Montana, I wondered: Can drinking too much water actually kill you?

Well, after a little googling, I found the answers.

Starting the Research

While doing my research, I came across an article from Medical News Today that had some interesting information on the topic.

The Importance and Risk of Water Intake

It's no secret that our body needs water, but drinking too much water can lead to significant health issues.

Get this: the kidneys can only remove 0.8 to 1.0 liters of water an hour.

If you drink more than that, the water will actually disrupt the body's electrolyte balance.

Water Intoxication, or Water Poisoning

Water intoxication, or water poisoning, might be tricky to wrap your head around.

What this means is that excessive water intake dilutes the sodium in the body's blood and causes the cells, including the brain, to swell.

Symptoms include confusion, nausea, and vomiting.

Severe cases can lead to cerebral edema, seizures, coma, or even death.

Who is at Risk?

Water intoxication is incredibly rare, but with our hot temperatures, many folks are forced to increase their water intake.

If you're spending any amount of time in the sun or performing rigorous activities outside, keep in mind that drinking too much water can be bad.

How to Avoid Water Intoxication

The bottom line is to avoid water intoxication don't exceed the kidneys capacity of 0.8 to 1.0 liters per hour.

Periodically, symptoms can occur with as little as 3 to 4 liters of water in a short period.

In extreme cases, water intoxication can happen after consuming 3.6 liters of water in a 1 to 2 hour period.

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