Woman loses sight after drinking too much water

(Nov 22) SHE drank 7 litres of water a day to 'detoxify and reduce her blood pressure'. Thinking that the more water she drank, the better it would be, she continued her habit and this went on for three months. But last month, this 26-year-old Taiwanese woman suddenly fainted at home. When she regained consciousness a few days later, she was blind, reported Apple Daily Taiwan. Doctors had said that the woman's condition is known as 'chronic water intoxication'. The amount of water she drank daily is more than three times the recommended daily consumption for sedentary adults. Dr Jiang Shou Shan, who treated her, told Apple Daily Taiwan that his patient had no psychological illness nor any other health problems, except that her blood pressure was 'on the high side'. She was not named in the report. Dr Jiang said: 'She mistakenly believes that the more water she drinks, the more she can decrease her blood pressure. 'Hence, for three months, she made herself drink 7 litres of water a day.' Dr Jiang added that initially, the woman would keep running to the toilet. But after some time, it led to water intoxication. Too much water consumed causes hyponatremia, a condition where there is insufficient sodium in the blood. SWELLING IN BRAIN CELLS As a result, the excess water had to be absorbed by her body cells. Her brain cells swelled after taking in the water, which led to increased pressure in her brain. Dr Jiang explained that the pressure caused bleeding in her occipital lobe. It is the visual processing centre of the brain which contains most of the visual cortex. Said Dr Jiang: 'The sodium in our blood maintains our cell metabolism rate. But once you drink too much water, the sodium ions will decrease, causing the brain cells to swell. 'This will cause pressure and lead to bleeding.' Shin Min Daily News quoted a doctor as saying that drinking too much water can be fatal. The doctor, from Raffles Hospital, said that our body is constantly losing water through sweat, urination, defecation or exhaled breath, among others. 'Replacing this 'lost water' is essential, but rehydration can be overdone, leading to fatal water overdose,' said the doctor. According to doctors, the symptoms of water intoxication include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination and mental disorientation.