Woman overdoses on water
A woman has cheated death three times after overdosing on the one thing vital to sustaining life on earth.
Christina Jagusiak, a self-confessed health and exercise fanatic, was convinced that flushing her system with copious amounts of water would make her healthier.
However, she entered dangerous territory when she also decided to cut salt from her diet.
Ms Jagusiak was diagnosed with hypernatremia, or water toxication, after she was found unconscious by her mother.
Ms Jagusiak says she stopped her salt intake for two weeks, and drank 4L of water a day.
"I was feeling sick. I had a headache and I thought that I was dehydrated so I drank more water," Ms Jagusiak said.
"On the way to the hospital the ambulance stopped because I'd died a few times, and they tried to get me back."
More stories from reporter Jackie Quist
Dr Ron Sultana, director of Emergency Medicine at Epworth Hospital, says it's extremely dangerous to do what Ms Jagusiak did.
"The water dilutes the salts in the body and there are some organs that don't tolerate that well," Dr Sultana said.
"What results in the cells of those organs, particularly the brain, is that the cells swell. The brain also swells, and there's increased pressure within the head so the person starts to develop confusion, nausea, and vomiting. Eventually with ongoing water intake, the person also develops seizures and coma."
Ms Jagusiak was in intensive care for a week, and another week thereafter in hospital. She had numerous tests and was diagnosed with a hypoxic brain injury.
"When I got out of the coma, I couldn't talk or walk. I was just sitting there drooling," she said.
Ms Jagusiak has now made a full recovery, cutting her water intake in half. She has also swapped rigorous exercise for yoga.
Doctors advise that people should drink water only when they're thirsty, and to follow their body's thirst mechanisms.
Source http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/health/article/-/19193047/woman-overdoses-on-water/
A woman has cheated death three times after overdosing on the one thing vital to sustaining life on earth.
Christina Jagusiak, a self-confessed health and exercise fanatic, was convinced that flushing her system with copious amounts of water would make her healthier.
However, she entered dangerous territory when she also decided to cut salt from her diet.
Ms Jagusiak was diagnosed with hypernatremia, or water toxication, after she was found unconscious by her mother.
Ms Jagusiak says she stopped her salt intake for two weeks, and drank 4L of water a day.
"I was feeling sick. I had a headache and I thought that I was dehydrated so I drank more water," Ms Jagusiak said.
"On the way to the hospital the ambulance stopped because I'd died a few times, and they tried to get me back."
More stories from reporter Jackie Quist
Dr Ron Sultana, director of Emergency Medicine at Epworth Hospital, says it's extremely dangerous to do what Ms Jagusiak did.
"The water dilutes the salts in the body and there are some organs that don't tolerate that well," Dr Sultana said.
"What results in the cells of those organs, particularly the brain, is that the cells swell. The brain also swells, and there's increased pressure within the head so the person starts to develop confusion, nausea, and vomiting. Eventually with ongoing water intake, the person also develops seizures and coma."
Ms Jagusiak was in intensive care for a week, and another week thereafter in hospital. She had numerous tests and was diagnosed with a hypoxic brain injury.
"When I got out of the coma, I couldn't talk or walk. I was just sitting there drooling," she said.
Ms Jagusiak has now made a full recovery, cutting her water intake in half. She has also swapped rigorous exercise for yoga.
Doctors advise that people should drink water only when they're thirsty, and to follow their body's thirst mechanisms.
Source http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/health/article/-/19193047/woman-overdoses-on-water/