Water intoxication occurs when a person drinks so much water that the other nutrients in the body become diluted to the point that they can no longer do their jobs.
Water intoxication causes an electrolyte imbalance that affects concentrations of the ion
sodium, and it leads to a condition called
hyponatremia.
In cases of water intoxication, it is extreme hyponatremia that can ultimately cause
coma and death.
If it's caught early, treatment with IV fluids containing electrolytes can lead to a complete recovery; but untreated, hyponatremia is fatal.
Water intoxication is basically one form of hyponatremia -- the condition can also be caused by excessive sweating, severe burns, prolonged dehydration and certain liver and
kidney problems, among other diseases and conditions.
When a person dies from hyponatremia as a result of water intoxication, the initiating factor is a severe
sodium imbalance that causes massive cell damage.
sodium helps regulate
blood pressure and maintain the signals that let
muscles operate properly, among other things. Cells actively maintain a precise sodium concentration in the body.
when someone drinks a tremendous amount of water in a short period of time, and the water does not contain any added electrolytes, the cellular maintenance system can't handle the level of sodium dilution that occurs.
The result is that cells desperately try to increase the sodium concentration in body fluids by taking in tremendous amounts of water. Some cells can swell a great deal; others cannot.
Brain cells are constrained by the skull and can end up bursting with the pressure of the water they are taking in. The exact amount of water intake that can lead to water intoxication is unknown and varies with each individual.
In severe cases of water intoxication, coma and death come fairly quickly as a result of
brain swelling.
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