LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- It's a viral question; can drinking too much water be detrimental to your health and life?
While drinking enough water should be a daily habit, especially in this extreme heat,
there is such a thing as drinking too much water.
Danielle Duncan spoke with Nicole Lavergne with Our Lady of Lourdes about health risks you should be aware of when staying hydrated.
"It's important when we are doing things outdoors or regular living to stay hydrated," said Lavergne. "However there are health risks you should beware of when staying hydrated."
Lavergne continued,
"The recommendation when you're re-hydrating is every 15-20 minutes.
Certainly you can do a 16 oz bottle every 40 minutes," said Lavergne.
The CDC recommends drinking only 48 ounces of any fluid with in an hour, exceeding the recommended amount can cause water toxicity. When excess fluids dilute the amount of electrolytes, causing swelling inside of the cell.
Lavergne says water toxicity is an uncommon case but mostly impacts endurance athletes or military personnel who train excessively.
"Of course it that happens to the brain it could cause brain swelling which could be fatal," said Lavergne.
To prevent water toxicity you should gradually re-hydrate by drinking 8 ounces of water every 15-20 minutes, especially when drinking caffeine.
"Certainly if you drink anything that is caffinated. Caffein tells your body to get rid of fluid so you want to re-hydrate to help balance that out," said Lavergne.
If water toxicity symptoms are caught early enough it can be life savings. Symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, brain fog, confusion disorientation. If you recognize the symptoms seek medical attention right away.
