What Is Water Toxicity, or Water Poisoning? Symptoms to Know

Is it really possible to die from drinking too much water?

An Indiana mom of two died after her family says she developed water toxicity from drinking too much water.

Devon Miller told WRTV Indianapolis that his sister Ashley Summers was on a boat with her husband and two daughters and felt like she was dehydrated. The 35-year-old reportedly complained of having a headache and feeling lightheaded. So, she drank a lot of water in a short period of time.

“Someone said she drank four bottles of water in 20 minutes,” Miller said. “I mean, an average water bottle is like 16 ounces, so that was 64 ounces that she drank in a span of 20 minutes. That’s half a gallon. That’s what you’re supposed to drink in a whole day.”

Summers went home after her boating trip, but passed out in her garage—and never regained consciousness. She was taken to the hospital where she died from what the family was told was water toxicity.

“It was a shock to all of us. When they first started talking about water toxicity. It was like, this is a thing?” Miller said.

While it doesn’t happen often, doctors say that water toxicity is real. Here’s what you need to know about this scary—and sometimes fatal—condition.

Water toxicity actually goes by several names—hyponatremia, water intoxication, water poisoning, and overhydration.

The big challenge with water toxicity is its impact on levels of sodium, one of your body’s key electrolytes, says Russ Kino, M.D., an emergency medicine physician and medical director of the Weingart Foundation Emergency Department at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. Sodium helps your nerves, muscles, and other body tissues work properly, and it’s important for maintaining your blood pressure, the U.S. National Library of Medicine explains.

“If you drink too much water too rapidly, you dilute the electrolytes in your blood and, in particular, the sodium,” Dr. Kino explains. “That leads to the movement of water into cells in your brain, and your brain swells up.” This swelling can cause “major problem” with your brain, he says.

That can lead to a slew of potential symptoms, the Cleveland Clinic says, including:

In severe cases, water toxicity can lead to seizures, coma, and death, says Edward W. Boyer, M.D., Ph.D., an emergency medicine physician specializing in medical toxicology, at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

This is a little tricky to figure out. “There’s no rule of thumb, other than listen to your body,” Dr. Boyer says. “If you’re not thirsty, you usually don’t need to drink more fluids.”

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that women aim to take in 11.5 cups of fluids from food and water a day, and that men should strive for 15.5 cups. However, you may need to take in a little more than usual if it’s a hot day or if you’re sweating a lot, Dr. Boyer says.

Boyer continues that factors like your body size, whether you tend to sweat a lot, the level of activity you’re doing, and humidity levels can all be variables. “But your body is pretty good at telling you when you need more water—you’ll get thirsty,” he says.

Dr. Kino stresses the importance of listening to your body. “Be mindful of how much you’re drinking and drink until you’re satisfied,” he says. “Then stop. Don’t try to overcompensate.”

Water toxicity is usually caused from taking in too much water, Dr. Kino says. However, the Cleveland Clinic points out that, less commonly, you can lose too much sodium from your body, leading to hyponatremia. Those causes can include:

Dr. Boyer stresses that people shouldn’t be scared to drink water for fear of getting water toxicity. “It’s a pretty rare event,” he says. Still, Dr. Kino says it’s a good idea to be aware that this can happen. “Your thirst is a good guide—pay attention to it,” he says.

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