Staying hydrated is essential for health, but drinking too much water can lead to serious complications. A woman in England discovered this firsthand when she ended up in the hospital.
Treating a urinary tract infection, her doctor recommended a glass of water every half hour. Eager to recover faster, she exceeded this advice to flush out the infection more quickly.
This backfired. Excessive water intake can drastically lower blood sodium levels, a condition known as hyponatremia. Symptoms include headaches and nausea, and in severe cases, it can cause coma or even death.
For this patient, symptoms escalated rapidly—her body began trembling, leading to hospitalization. She has no memory of the following 24 hours but fully recovered after a week.
