By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com

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• science faqs
• how things work
• water chemistry
• water intoxication

Question: Can You Drink Too Much Water?

Answer: You’ve probably heard that it’s important to ‘drink plenty of fluids’ or simply ‘drink lots of water’. There are excellent reasons for drinking water, but have you ever wondered if it’s possible to drink too much water. Here’s what you need to know:

Can You Really Drink Too Much Water?

In a word, yes. 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.

 What Happens During Water Intoxication?

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.

It’s Not How Much You Drink, It’s How Fast You Drink It!

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.

By badbadivy

Tennessee and many other areas are going through a massive heat wave right now. Some people have to deal with this heat without air conditioning. Here’s a guide to getting through the heat wave without air conditioning.

• Make a swamp cooler.  Blow a fan over a pan of ice. Seriously, it’s just that easy, and it makes a major difference in the temp. Change the ice out when it melts.
• Fans, fans everywhere. When my air conditioning decided to break during a Tennessee heat wave, I went out and bought a crapload of fans. I made swamp coolers out of many of them, then I used the others to blow the cooled air around the house. I turned all my ceiling fans on as well- make sure they are on the “summer” setting, blowing downward.
• Windows closed during the day, open at night. Try to get them closed before the sun comes up and starts to heat up the air outside.
• Close your curtains during the day. You want to try to block as much of the sun out as possible. It heats your house up to have the sun shining in.
• Stay on the lowest level of your home. Heat rises, so it stands to reason that you should stay on the lowest level of your home. If you have a basement, it’s the coolest place to be.
• Sleep nekkid. Well, if you *can*, anyway. Spray the sheets so they are slightly damp before you lay down and get a wet washcloth for your forehead. Then turn on the fan and get some sleep.
• Take a tepid bath. Not cold, not hot. Tepid.
• Make sure you and your pets have plenty of water. You’re gonna lose a lot of water, sweating so much, so make sure you are properly hydrated.
• Stand and stare in your refrigerator. Okay, not the best idea for long-term, but if you just can’t take it, have a few cool moments with your refrigerator or freezer.
• Don’t use “hot” appliances. Think about it- your stove, oven, dishwasher, and dryer all heat up your house. This is great in the fall when you’re trying to put off turning the heat on for another couple of days, but it’s not a good idea in the summer when it’s miserably hot. Wait until darkness falls if you need to use one of those appliances. But washing your dishes by hand might actually cool you down a bit, so consider that.
• Popsicles are your friends! Stock up on ‘em.
• If all else fails, go somewhere with air conditioning. Like your mom’s house, or the mall, or the library. 

Heat Stress in the Workplace

Heat stress includes a series of conditions where the body is under stress from overheating. It can include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat rash or heat stroke. Each produces bodily symptoms that can range from profuse sweating to dizziness to cessation of sweating and collapse. Heat stress can be induced by high temperatures, heavy work loads, the type of clothing being worn, etc.

It is important to know the signs of heat stress and the proper first aid to treat it.

The signs of heat stress are often overlooked by the victim. The employee may at first be confused or unable to concentrate, followed by more severe symptoms such as fainting and/or collapse. If heat stress symptoms occur, move the employee to a cool, shaded area, give him/her water and immediately contact the supervisor.

At-risk Employees

Some employees are more likely to have heat disorders than others. Younger employees and those more physically fit are often less likely to have problems. Employees with heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes and those on medications are more likely to experience heat stress problems. Diet pills, sedatives, tranquilizers, caffeinated drinks and excessive alcohol consumption can all exacerbate heat stress effects.

It often takes two to three weeks for employees to become acclimated to a hot environment. This acclimation can subsequently be lost in only a few days away from the heat. Thus employees should be more cautious about heat stress after coming back from a vacation, when beginning a new job, or after the season’s first heat wave. In short, precautions should be taken anytime there are elevated temperatures (approaching 90 degrees F) and the job is physically demanding.

Other Factors

Other heat stress factors are also very important. In addition to temperature, increased relative humidity, decreased air movement or lack of shading from direct heat (radiant temperature) will all affect the potential for heat stress.

Prevention of Heat Stress - Supervisors:

• Allow time for employees to adjust to hot jobs when possible. It often takes two to three weeks for an employee to become acclimated to a hot environment.
• Adjust the work schedule, if possible. Assign heavier work on cooler days or during the cooler part of the day.
• Reduce the workload. Increase the use of equipment on hot days to reduce physical labor.
• Establish a schedule for work and rest periods during hot days.
• Train workers to recognize signs and symptoms of heat stress disorders and be prepared to give first aid if necessary.
• Choose appropriate employees. Avoid placing “high risk” employees in hot work environments for extended time periods. Realize individual employees vary in their tolerance to heat stress conditions.

Prevention of Heat Stress - Workers:

• Learn to recognize the symptoms of heat stress. Pace the work, taking adequate rest periods (in shade or cooler environment).
• Use adequate fans for ventilation and cooling, especially when wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Wear light colored, loose (unless working around equipment with moving parts) clothing.
• Keep shaded from direct heat where possible (e.g., wear a hat in direct sunshine).
• Drink plenty of water. In hot environments the body requires more water than it takes to satisfy thirst.

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It’s been a long and hot summer. The Heat Aware card has proven to be a great visual tool for showing people just how hot it is, with the ambient temp. displayed on the liquid crystal thermometer .