Woman dies drinking a half gallon water in 20 minutes, keep up the electrolytes in summer.

[dennishoddy]

I have seen this a couple times while in the Army. The symptoms are very close to DE-hydration and very easy for medics to miss-diagnose. Of course the Armys answer for just about everything is "Drink water"

I think it was an Army Captain a few years ago during Ranger training that died by drinking too much water.
Dehydration occurs because one didn’t drink enough water the day before so the cells can absorb it from what I understand. Binge drinking water when feeling dehydrated does nothing but have bad results.
The old saying that you need a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day can be true for some but not others. Those with low activity levels and climate controlled work areas may require less while those working outside in the heat may need more. Electrolytes along with water is what’s important from what I’ve read.
Altitude also makes a difference in the amount of water a body needs.

 

[Aku]

I still have salt tablets lying around. Does anybody else use salt tablets in this heat.

 

[jakeman]

I still have salt tablets lying around. Does anybody else use salt tablets in this heat.

When I was a kid I roughnecked every summer. Every driller I ever had would call us to the floor several times a day and make us take a couple salt tablets. There was a dispenser up in the floor dog house and one in the locker doghouse and maybe one in the mud house.

I don’t know if they are as big a deal now as they were then, but they were kind of important back in the day.

 

[Decoligny]

I spent three days in the hospital in Hawaii from massive dehydration. Evacuated from the eruption of Mt Pinatubo, Philippines in June. Three hours in the midday sun in Navy Landing Craft, 10 degrees N of the Equator, followed by all afternoon waiting in the sun for evac aircraft. Then another 24 hours in a hangar in Guam with very little water. Arrived in Hawaii and couldn’t stand up to get off the cargo plane. They put 13 liters of fluid in me three days. It had electrolytes in it. I was so dehydrated that my body wouldn’t let me swallow water, which was actually a good thing, as it could have easily killed me.

What happened to her was a massive loss of electrolytes. Her electrolyte level was very low and brain function and nerve conductivity require enough electrolytes to conduct electricity.
The infusion of plain water into her system diluted the remaining electrolyte to a point where her brain couldn’t conduct enough electricity to sustain life.

 

[Chuckie]

I still have salt tablets lying around. Does anybody else use salt tablets in this heat.

Use to. Boss came around couple times a day (morning & afternoon) to make sure we took 'em.

 

[hbokc]

Very Sad She Leaves Babies and other Loved Ones Behind… But I Think I Remember a Tick-Tock Challenge a Couple of Years Ago to Drink as much Water as You Could in One Hour???
I Believe Some People Died Trying This…

 

[CHenry]

There’s a reason we took salt tablets during football practice I guess.


Salt is a good source of electrolytes, including magnesium, calcium, and potassium.24 Adding sea salt to water may be effective in replenishing lost electrolytes, but it can be dehydrating.2 Most people require a daily maximum of 2,300 mg of sodium and chloride to maintain a healthy balance.0 Potassium and sodium are electrolytes that help maintain fluid and blood volume, but consuming too little potassium and too much sodium can raise blood pressure.3 Foods high in electrolytes include olives, pickles, and breakfast cereals fortified with calcium and magnesium.

I eat a lot of pickles and drink the juice too.

 

[CHenry]

Salt on rim of Beer

yup

 

[CHenry]

I know when I'm outside doing much of anything on a day like today I drink amounts of water and Gatorade that even surprises me. Especially when you consider almost never going to pee. I sweat like a pig.

Pigs dont sweat lol