how does drinking too much water possibly make a person die?

Question

whoa

Answer 1

The lady who was in the radio contest didn't die because she drank too much water she died because of holding her urine in the entire time that she was drinking all of the water which caused an electrolyte imbalance in her body that was fatal. You can not die from drinking too much water unless you don't excrete it by urinating.

Answer 2

Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Athletes can also suffer from water intoxication. Athletes sweat heavily, losing both water and electrolytes. Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes.

When too much water enters the body's cells, the tissues swell with the excess fluid. Your cells maintain a specific concentration gradient, so excess water outside the cells (the serum) draws sodium from within the cells out into the serum in an attempt to re-establish the necessary concentration. As more water accumulates, the serum sodium concentration drops -- a condition known as hyponatremia. The other way cells try to regain the electrolyte balance is for water outside the cells to rush into the cells via osmosis. The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from higher to lower concentration is called osmosis. Although electrolytes are more concentrated inside the cells than outside, the water outside the cells is 'more concentrated' or 'less dilute' since it contains fewer electrolytes. Both electrolytes and water move across the cell membrane in an effort to balance concentration. Theoretically, cells could swell to the point of bursting.

From the cell's point of view, water intoxication produces the same effects as would result from drowning in fresh water. Electrolyte imbalance and tissue swelling can cause an irregular heartbeat, allow fluid to enter the lungs, and may cause fluttering eyelids. Swelling puts pressure on the brain and nerves, which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication. Swelling of brain tissues can cause seizures, coma and ultimately death unless water intake is restricted and a hypertonic saline (salt) solution is administered. If treatment is given before tissue swelling causes too much cellular damage, then a complete recovery can be expected within a few days.
The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.

Answer 3

They literally drown. Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Athletes can also suffer from water intoxication. Athletes sweat heavily, losing both water and electrolytes. Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes.

Answer 4

Fantastic question...Well some people take drugs that causes a person to over dehydrate and become overly thirsty more thirsty then the natural human thirst because the drugs has made them think that this usually happens with "Ecstasy" pill what happens there kidney bursts because it can handle the fluid over load in there body which sadly in the End causes death.

Answer 5

Yes a person can die from drinking too much water at one time. Such as in a drinking contest.

Answer 6

Their brain absorbs so much water that their brain literally explodes.
Im not kidding someone died this way at a water drinking contest; she won, said she wasn't feeling well and died forty minutes later. Not nice.

Answer 7

if the body is flooded with water,the kidneys shut downn thus sending the eccess water to the brain.thus swelling the brain.

Answer 8

It over-saturates your cells and causes the cell membranes to burst, thus killing them.

It also puts a horrible strain on your kidneys and circulatory system.

Answer 9

what happens when u r fillin a baloon with water more than it can hold?Ya it sure does Kaboom........

Answer 10

If you drink loads....and I mean loads of water....then you drown your own lungs .