A family in Indiana is mourning the loss of a 35-year-old mother-of-two who they said died after drinking 64 ounces of water in 20 minutes.
Ashley Summers was celebrating the Fourth of July on a lake in Indiana when she started to feel intensely dehydrated, according to her brother, Devon Miller.
“At one point during the day, she started getting a bad headache,” Miller told “Good Morning America.” “So, she was drinking a lot of water.”
Miller said Summers drank the equivalent of four 16-ounce bottles of water in 20 minutes, and then later collapsed inside the garage of her home.
Related Post
“She felt dizzy and had this headache,” Miller said. “They got home. She walked across the garage to go into the house and she passed out in the garage.”
Summers later died of what Miller said doctors called water intoxication, a rare but dangerous condition caused by drinking too much water too fast, which upsets the electrolyte balance in the body, according to research published by the National Institutes of Health.
Symptoms of overhydration may include “altered mental status, disorientation, confusion, nausea, and vomiting,” according to the research.
If water intoxication is not detected early, it can lead to seizures or coma.
MORE: Expert hydration tips to beat the heat this summer
Dr. Stephanie Widmer, an ABC News medical contributor, board-certified emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist, said the key to preventing water intoxication is spacing out the intake of water throughout the day.
“The general recommendation is two liters of water per day, on average, per person, and that’s throughout the day,” Widmer told “GMA.” “But you also don’t want to consume more than one liter [of water] per hour.”
Miller said he believes that was the case for his sister, who is survived by a husband and two children, in addition to other family members.
“If she would have spaced out her water consumption, she probably would be alive today,” Miller said.
MORE: Dangerous heat stretches from coast to coast
Summers was an organ donor, a silver lining in which Miller said his family is finding hope while mourning her death.
“They were able to get her heart, her lungs, her liver, her kidneys and her long bone tissue,” he said. “Five individuals are getting a second lease on life because of her generous donation.”
Family speaks out after 35-year-old woman dies of water intoxication originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
Source link
hartford car insurance shop car insurance best car insurance quotes best online car insurance get auto insurance quotes auto insurance quotes most affordable car insurance car insurance providers car insurance best deals best insurance quotes get car insurance online best comprehensive car insurance best cheap auto insurance auto policy switching car insurance car insurance quotes auto insurance best affordable car insurance online auto insurance quotes az auto insurance commercial auto insurance instant car insurance buy car insurance online best auto insurance companies best car insurance policy best auto insurance vehicle insurance quotes aaa insurance quote auto and home insurance quotes car insurance search best and cheapest car insurance best price car insurance best vehicle insurance aaa car insurance quote find cheap car insurance new car insurance quote auto insurance companies get car insurance quotes best cheap car insurance car insurance policy online new car insurance policy get car insurance car insurance company best cheap insurance car insurance online quote car insurance finder comprehensive insurance quote car insurance quotes near me get insurance
