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Alby News Ghana Blog of Thursday, 3 August 2023

Source: Alby News Ghana

Indiana Mom, 35, Dies From Drinking Too Much Water - After Guzzling Equivalent Of Four Bottles In 20 Minutes

After drinking nearly 64 ounces of water in the span of just 20 minutes, a creche worker in Indiana succumbed to water poisoning and died.

Ashley Summers, a mother of two who passed away at the age of 35 just a short time after enjoying a relaxing day at Lake Freeman during the extended holiday weekend that included the fourth of July.

She had been experiencing signs of dehydration, such as feeling lightheaded and having a headache, but no quantity of water was able to satisfy her thirst.

On the Tuesday following the holiday, Ms. Summers was taken to the hospital with acute brain swelling. The doctors were at a loss as to how to treat her and admittedly mystified by her condition.

Despite the fact that Ms. Summers had returned home, she became unconscious shortly thereafter and passed out in her garage. She never regained consciousness. At the hospital, the physicians diagnosed her with water toxicity, which is also known as hyponatremia. This condition manifests itself when a person has an excessive amount of water in their bodies but a deficient amount of sodium.

Insufficient sodium levels in the body are characteristic of hyponatremia. Sodium is an essential electrolyte that contributes to the maintenance of normal nerve and muscle function as well as the regulation of the delicate fluid balance that exists within cells. Consuming an excessive amount of water causes the blood's sodium levels to become more dilute.
Insufficient sodium levels in the body are characteristic of hyponatremia. Sodium is an essential electrolyte that contributes to the maintenance of normal nerve and muscle function as well as the regulation of the delicate fluid balance that exists within cells. Consuming an excessive amount of water causes the blood's sodium levels to become more dilute.
Devon Miller, Ashley Summers' brother, was in complete shock after learning of his sister's situation when he first learned about it.

He stated that: "It came as quite a surprise to all of us." I just looked at it and was like, 'Wait, this is a thing?'

Mr. Miller continued, saying, "She simply felt as though she couldn't get enough water... It was approximately a 20-minute boat journey from the time they left the sand bar till the time they arrived at the dock... During that period of time, she went through four bottles of water.

A person can get water poisoning if they drink a large amount of water in a short period of time, which overwhelms the ability of the body's complex organ systems, particularly the kidneys, to control the balance of fluids in the body. This can cause water poisoning.

The end goal is to achieve a balance between the water and the electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, in order to guarantee that the cells are able to perform their functions correctly. Because it helps cells continue to communicate with one another through the use of electrical impulses, sodium is an especially important nutrient.

The kidneys are responsible for regulating the amount of water and electrolytes that are reabsorbed into the bloodstream or expelled through urine. Sodium plays an important role in the absorption of nutrients in both the digestive system and the kidneys.