The problem is that excessive water intake has been associated with several health conditions such as hyponatremia, seizures, and brain swelling, especially in children. Hyponatremia occurs when the body takes in too much water and dilutes the blood's sodium content from the excess drinking water, also referred to as acute water intoxication. It is essential because, in as much as the body cells require a sufficient water supply to function effectively, the fall of sodium levels below 135mmol/l could result in overhydration, which causes swelling of cells due to osmotic imbalances in electrolytes (Farrell & Bower, 2003). Most parents and athletes believe that children and those who engage in strenuous physical activities should consume a lot of water to compensate for dehydration. However, it can lead to water intoxication and death. Solving hyponatremia could result in improved diagnosis and prevention of water intoxication mortality in children and athletes.
Literature Review
Previous research in water intoxication reveals that excessive amounts of water result in swelling of the brain and increases the pressure inside the skull, thereby showing the initial symptoms of intoxication (Adrienne & Arlene, 2020). The early symptoms of hyponatremia comprise of nausea, headaches, and vomiting. However, in serious cases, more severe indicators such as lethargy, increased blood pressure, muscle weakness, confusion, and inability to sense objects have been reported. The ideas that keep recurring in the articles and sources used for the research are that children are particularly at higher risks of hyponatremia because they have a higher thirst drive that may compromise their water intake (Kayani & Ramnarayan, 2007). However, the sources contradict each other on the magnitude to which water intoxication is dangerous. For example, Farrell and Bower (2003) suggest that its severity might be death if the condition is not detected early. Other studies conducted by Kashiura et al. in 2017 record seizures and mental disturbances as the highest level of its severity.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Several solutions have so far been explored to deal with water intoxication. First, the emphasis has been placed on educating parents on the potential risks of water intoxication (Ballantyne, 2007). The education material is tailored to address the types and procedures of administering quick medication. Secondly, athletes are advised to drink water when they feel thirsty and not because they feel that they have lost a lot of water through sweating (Whitfield, 2006). According to scientists, excess sodium in the body serum also needs to be monitored and regulated to improve the kidneys' efficiency and performance. The research findings on hyponatremia have significantly led to a decline in patient case reports in hospitals and medical institutions. However, researchers seem to keep trying to figure out how to completely do away with this treatable but deadly condition by conducting experiments on its resultant form of rhabdomyolysis (Kashiura et al., 2017). It is common with water intoxicated individuals and is a severe condition caused by muscle fiber deaths, which poison the bloodstream and lead to serious kidney failures.
Research Question
My research topic focuses on health and wellness. The objective is to study whether drinking excess water can be fatal to your health. The research question that would be investigated further is whether consuming excess water may cause intoxication and death.
Theoretical framework
From the studies I have conducted, water is an essential element in individuals' health, but excess intake can have severe health consequences (Bordoni et al., 2019). The condition may go unnoticed, mainly when it results in an individual's death with no prior clinical history or postmortem investigations. Therefore, clinicians and pathologists are advised to become aware of the water intoxication effects, diagnosis, and medication. Medical scientists prescribe medications against common water drinking disorders such as rhabdomyolysis, compulsive drinking disorder, and hyponatremia. However, when the symptoms are evaluated early enough, physicians can treat water intoxication and its related disorders by providing sodium to return body fluid osmotic balance and cutting fluid intake.
Therefore, the two significant operational variables in the research study are water as the independent variable. The decision for each individual to consume the recommended amount of water would be the dependent variable. Using this information, I can develop the hypothesis for the study.
Hypothesis
The identified independent variable in my research study would raise testable speculations of the following nature;
Null hypothesis: Drinking abundant water does not cause water intoxication to the body.
Alternative hypothesis: Intake of large quantities of water causes water intoxication to the body.
Conclusion
Water is vital for body respiration but must not be consumed irrationally except in cases that it is recommended for health reasons. Drinking too much water causes nausea, may lead to vomit, mental impairments, and even death. Previous studies on the subject have developed foundations for creating awareness to parents and athletes on overhydration's health implications. To escape the effects of hyponatremia, one should consume water that allows the kidneys to form urine and relieve the body of excess water. Reports indicate that taking more than a liter of water within an hour could be harmful.
References
Adrienne, S & Arlene, S. (2020, May 14) Water intoxication: What happens when you drink too much water?.. Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318619
Ballantyne, C. (2007). Strange but true: drinking too much water can kill. Scientific American.
Bordoni, L., Jiménez, E. G., Nielsen, S., Østergaard, L., & Frische, S. (2019). A new experimental mouse model of water intoxication with sustained increased intracranial pressure and mild hyponatremia without side effects of antidiuretics. Experimental animals, 19-0040. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/expanim/advpub/0/advpub_19-0040/_pdf
Farrell, D. J., & Bower, L. (2003, October 1). Fatal water intoxication. Journal of Clinical Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1136/jcp.56.10.803-a
Kashiura, M., Sugiyama, K., & Hamabe, Y. (2017). Association between rapid serum sodium correction and rhabdomyolysis in water intoxication: a retrospective cohort study. Journal of intensive care, 5(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40560-017-0233-0
Kayani, R. M., & Ramnarayan, P. (2007, January 1). Water intoxication and the heat wave. Archives of Disease in Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2006.107599
Whitfield, A. H. N. (2006, July 1). Too much of a good thing? The danger of water intoxication in endurance sports. The British Journal of General Practice : The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
