Texas man hospitalized from WATER poisoning after drinking 3 gallons too fast sparked health crisis

A man in Texas suffered heart attack-like symptoms after drinking too much water.

John Putnam, 74, was working as a landscaper in June when the temperatures reached 100F (37.7c). 

By the time he mowed his second lawn of the day, Mr Putnam was so thirsty he had consumed almost three gallons of water within five hours.

However, he was overcome with nausea and fatigue, which turned into chest pain and trouble breathing by evening. 

Mr Putnam was rushed to the hospital for what he believed was a heart attack - instead, he had suffered water poisoning, which develops as a result of there being too much water in the body and not enough sodium.

John Putnam, 74, suffered water toxicity after guzzling three gallons of water within five hours

Ashley Summers, 35, was a daycare worker and mother of two. She passed away soon after the July 4th holiday last year from water toxicity or hyponatremia

'I didn't even know there was such a phenomenon,' Mr Putnam told the Wall Street Journal. 'I was really chugging down the water thinking that's what I needed.'  

The incident comes about a year after Indiana mother Ashley Summers, 35, died after guzzling 64 ounces of water in just 20 minutes. 

Researchers have also suspected that water toxicity, also known as hyponatremia or 'water poisoning,' is on the rise due to an increase in heat waves across the US. 

Research from the NIH suggests that the condition affects anywhere from 3million to 6million Americans every year, or at least one in 100 people. 

Hyponatremia occurs when drinking too much water within a short time frame overwhelms the body's organs, namely the kidneys. 

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Normally, the kidneys filter out extra water and waste, producing urine. 

Dr Thunder Jalili, a professor of nutrition and integrative physiology at the University of Utah, told the Wall Street Journal that a person's kidneys can typically filter out one liter of water every hour. 

'When you drink more than a liter of water an hour, that's when you run into the risk of potentially diluting your electrolytes,' he said. 

These include sodium, which is vital for regulating the amount of fluid in the body, but having too little of it causes water to build up around the body's cells. 

The cells then swell, leading to nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion, muscle weakness, dizziness, and restlessness. But in more severe cases, such as Mr Putnam's, it can lead to heart attack-like symptoms such as chest pain. 

Hyponatremia can also be more common in older adults like Mr Putnam. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is because older patients are more likely to take medications or suffer from conditions that lower their sodium levels. 

Ms Summers loved being on the water. On the last day of their trip, she complained of feeling dehydrated with a headache and lightheadedness

Drinking two liters of water per day — around eight cups — is vital for keeping the body hydrated. But rapidly getting through this amount can be deadly, experts warn. The CDC advises no more than 1.4 litres per hour, around six cups

In severe cases of hyponatremia, brain cells swell and lead to pressure inside the skull. Blood flow to the brain then becomes reduced, resulting in seizures, coma, and even death. 

This was the case for Ashley Summers, a 35-year-old mother-of-two who drank the equivalent of four 16oz (500ml) water bottles in just 20 minutes. Her family said that she was feeling dehydrated but could not drink enough water to quench her thirst. 

When she returned home from the long fourth of July weekend, she collapsed in her garage from severe brain swelling. 

Devon Miller, Ms Summers' brother, told local media that when he heard of his sister's condition, he was in disbelief. 'It was a big shock to us all,' he said. 'I was just like, this is a thing?'

Treatment for hyponatrema depends on the severity of the condition. For mild cases, doctors may restrict fluids. However, more severe cases may require medications to manage low sodium levels or replacing sodium intravenously. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, women should drink about 11.5 cups of water per day (2.7 liters), while men should consume 15.5 cups (3.7 liters). 

However, if you're exercising in the heat, aim for four to eight ounces every 20 minutes, depending on the intensity of the workout.