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As if there are no shortages of things that can kill us, you can now apparently die from drinking too much water. This all comes after the wake of a recent death involving an American woman who tragically passed after drinking four bottles of water within the span of 20 minutes. Mother of two, Ashley Summers, was only 36 when she died unexpectedly on July 6. She had been complaining about having a headache and feeling thirsty while boating on a lake with her husband and kids. She downed a whole two litres of water, which is the average human’s recommended daily intake, on the 20-minute boat ride. This then caused her to pass out at her home later that day and sadly, never woke up. To say that her loved ones are sad is an understatement. They were devastated. Her brother, Devon Miller, told the news outlet that he didn’t know you could die from drinking too much water. It was a shock to the entire family. How Water Can Kill You ‘Death by water’ occurs when you drink too much at one time; the lethal dose it seems is 2 litres in 20 minutes. According to Dr Alok Harwani, Dr. Alok Harwani, Emergency Physician at IU Health Arnett Hospital, the phenomenon of water toxicity is rare, "Now, what we are concerned about is just drinking too much water in a short period of time. Your kidneys can really only clear about a litre of water per hour" Your body maintains a very precarious level of chemical balance; particularly sodium, which in the right amounts helps keeps things as they should. Drinking too much water messes with this delicate sodium balance, leading to cells swelling up with water (including the cells in your brain). "It pinched off her blood vessels like a kink in a hose and just stopped the blood flow to the brain," Miller said. Not wanting Ashley to die in vain, the family is now spreading awareness on the dangers of water toxicity so that no other innocent soul has to suffer the same fate. Beware of Heat Wave While unconfirmed, it can be speculated that the headaches and thirst that Ashley experienced just days before her passing may be attributed to the recent heat wave that’s spreading across the globe. As a precaution to all the Malaysian families out there, be sure to avoid spending too much time outside during the hot day to prevent heat strokes. And never leave your child alone in the car unsupervised even with the air conditioner turned all the way up. Be mindful of how much water you drink as well. We are often told to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate but are seldom given the proper guideline on how to do it. Remember, no more than 1 litre per hour to avoid accidental water intoxication. Stay safe out there, parents! For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!

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