What is water intoxication?
Water intoxication is a term used to describe a constellation of symptoms and laboratory abnormalities that result from an accumulation of too much water in the body. Depending on how much and how fast water accumulates, the symptoms can be mild (headache, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite) or severe (confusion, coma, seizures). Since these symptoms also occur in other disorders, the diagnosis of water intoxication requires a laboratory test showing that the plasma sodium concentration has been diluted be the normal range. Water intoxication occurs whenever water is put into the body (by drinking or intravenous infusion) faster than the kidneys can excrete it (usually because of kidney failure or the act of vasopressin, the antidiuretic hormone). This can occur in a variety of situations. It is common, for example, in patients with dipsogenic DI (a form of DI due to an abnormality in the thirst mechanism) who are treated with dDAVP in the mistaken belief that they have CDI (a form o
Water intoxication, which can lead to hyponatremia, is a serious medical condition which results when someone drinks too much water too quickly. Water intoxication is a common but unfortunate result of dares and fraternity initiations, and it can kill if it is not quickly identified and treated. It can also happen to athletes who drink too much after a match or to infants who are given too much water or heavily diluted formula. Hyponatremia occurs when the sodium levels in the body are heavily diluted, resulting in an overall loss of electrolyte balance. Essentially, water intoxication drowns the cells of the body in fresh water. If a large amount of fluid is consumed over a short period of time, the cells will begin to swell because the kidneys cannot process the water quickly enough. The water starts to dilute the electrolyte levels in the body, and if enough water is consumed, the cells could actually burst. A low level of electrolytes can result in an irregular heartbeat, brain mal
