WATER INTOXICATION:
Ingesting an enormous quantity of water too quickly over a short time span causes water intoxication, or over hydration. It can be fatal. If the quantity of water ingested exceeds the body’s ability to safely metabolize it, over hydration will cause dilutional hyponatremia; a state of low sodium levels in the body fluids outside the cells. The effect on the body will be similar to a fresh water drowning. When sodium levels drop in the fluids outside the cells, water will seep into the cells in an attempt to balance the concentration of salt outside the cells. The cells will swell because of the excess water.
In severe cases, cerebral edema, and
fluid in the lungs manifests. All of which can be lethal, when left untreated. As the water content of the blood increases, the body cannot excrete the fluids fast enough. The excess water then goes to the bowel, which pulls salt into it from the body, diluting the concentration of sodium in the body tissues leading to massive cellular damage effecting muscle, brain, heart liver and kidney function, according to the archives of Military Medicine, 2002.
Among sodium’s varied roles, it helps to maintain blood pressure, electrolyte equilibrium, and allows organs, muscles and nerves to work properly. Healthy adult kidneys are capable of processing 15
liters of water, or about 4 U.S. gallons, per day, if one drinks the water in small quantities spread all through the day. It is not advisable, however, to drink 15 liters of water daily over a long period. The United States National Research Council ingeneral recommends an average daily fluid intake, including fluid from food, of about 3 liters, or approximately 3 quarts, for women, and four liters, or approximately 4 quarts, for men per day. It is important to realize that the recommendation varies more or less with body mass, activity level, heat, humidity, and health status. In addition, healthy people should ingest only about 8 ounces of water in roughly an hour, giving the body adequate time to properly absorb and use the water effectively. People with known health conditions should discuss hydration with a doctor specializing in their particular medical concern. Hyponatremia, in various forms, affects a wide spectrum of people. It includes those with kidney, liver, endocrine, or heart disorders, and the elderly, as well as people with psychological disorders causing a pathological urge to drink water excessively. It also, however, may affect otherwise healthy marathon runners who drink to excess for
fear of dehydration, as well as people training hard such as boot camp soldiers, according to abstracts published by the National Institute of Health.Treatments traditionally included the administration of a small volume of concentrated salt solution intravenously.
A newer investigational drug, Tolvaptan, a vassopressinV2-receptor antagonist, has been shown to treat water intoxication, in acute and chronic hyponatremia faster, and more effectively, than other treatments. It works, without significant side effects, according to the results of two large studies presented at the American Heart Association’s November 2006 sessions.
The easy-to-administer oral drug, developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical, begins to normalize serum sodium within hours. The normalization is sustained during long-term therapy. Continue reading FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/146 397/water_intoxication_how_much_water_is.html
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