Mum dies from ‘water poisoning’ after drinking 4 bottles in 20 minutes
A mother tragically died after drinking four bottles of water over the course of just 20 minutes during a family day out
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A mother tragically died after drinking four bottles of water over the course of just 20 minutes during a family day out.
Ashley Summers reportedly drank 64 ounces of water as she struggled to cope with extreme heat.
The family, who are from Indiana, US were celebrating the Fourth of July weekend last month near Lake Freeman.
However, Summers began to fall unwell with a headache and other symptoms of dehydration such as feeling lightheaded on the last day of their trip.
Ashley Summers reportedly drank 64 ounces of water as she struggled to cope with extreme heat
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The mum-of-two explained that no amount of water quenched her thirst as she consumed the equivalent of four 500ml bottles.
"I mean, an average water bottle is like 16 ounces, so that was 64 ounces that she drank in a span of 20 minutes," her brother, Devon Miller, told WRTV.
"That’s half a gallon. That’s what you’re supposed to drink in a whole day."
The family then returned home where Summers suddenly collapsed in the garage.
She was rushed to the Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital with severe brain swelling.
Miller said: "My sister, Holly, called me, and she was just an absolute wreck. She was like ‘Ashley is in the hospital'.
"'She has brain swelling, they don’t know what’s causing it, they don’t know what they can do to get it to go down, and it’s not looking good'."
Summers was diagnosed with water toxicity, also known as hyponatremia, by doctors which is caused by low salt levels in the blood.
The mum-of-two explained that no amount of water quenched her thirst as she consumed the equivalent of four 500ml bottles
PAThe condition can occur when too much water is drunk over a short period of time, diluting the sodium levels in the body.
Her brother added: "It was a big shock to us all. I was just like, this is a thing?' She just felt like she couldn't get enough water.
"When they left the sand bar to when they got to the dock, it was about a 20-minute boat ride. She drank four bottles of water in that 20 minutes."
Toxicologist Dr Froberg explained that water toxicity is more likely during the summer.
He told The Sun: "There are certain things that can make someone more at risk for it, but the overall thing that happens is that you have too much water and not enough sodium in your body."
The expert urged people to drink liquids that contain electrolytes, sodium and potassium to regulate their body.