what will happen if a person drinks sea water?

Question

why & how?

Answer 1

Seawater is hypertonic, meaning it has a higher concentration of salt than your body. When you ingest it, your kidneys will not be able to clear it from your system. As salt concentration in your body increases, osmosis begins. The water in the cells will start to leave the cells, causing all sorts of organ failure. Ironically, the more seawater you drink, the thirstier you get. Seawater dehydrates you, and it is a potent laxative.

Answer 2

That person will be dehydrated because the amount of salt in sea water is greater than the amount of salt in our blood, so, through osmosis, the water will be pulled out of that persons cells in an effort to create an isotonic solution.

So it doesn't hurt people, it just tastes nasty and dehyrdates you, which is why you aren't supposed to drink salt water when you are stranded, because it will hurt you more than help you.

Answer 3

He or she will take in too much salt. Your body needs water to wash extra salt out of your body, but sea water has more salt that it can wash out, so drinking it adds salt faster than the water washes it out. The result is that the more you drink, the thirstier you get.

Answer 4

First, vomiting, leading to more dehydration. Then proceeding as the others have described, situation going downhill. Drinking the saltwater for thirst is a losing proposition, even in the short term.

Answer 5

They become salt toxic.
There is more salt in sea water than there is water for the kidneys to flush it away. The result is that salt builds up in the bloodstream until it becomes toxic to the nervous and circulatory systems.

Answer 6

that's the salt in it. To a lot salt is undesirable for you and facilitates dry you out to so eating sait water is particularly the WORST ingredient to drink even as your lost out at sea without sparkling water.

Answer 7

Dehydrate.

Answer 8

they will go crazy and drink their own pee