Ray Jordan, 10, drank the water after playing with his cousins in the sun (Pictures: WIS-TV)
A little boy had to be rushed to hospital after he downed six bottles of water in an hour and ‘lost his motor functions’.
Ray Jordan, 10, was playing with his cousins, going ‘full throttle’ outside over the weekend in Columbia, South Carolina.
After spending time ‘running circles around the house and jumping on the trampoline’, Ray went inside to drink some water.
His parents did not realise at the time, but he ended up drinking six bottles of water between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.
Within an hour, Ray ‘couldn’t control his head or arms or anything’, his dad Jeff told WIS-TV.
Ray got worse and worse, appearing ‘like he was on drugs, drunk, or even mentally handicapped’.Â
The worried parents took their son to a children’s hospital where they discovered he was suffering from water intoxication.
Ray ‘lost his motor functions’ after drinking too much water (Picture: WIS-TV)
Ray had spent the day playing with his cousins outside in the sun (Picture: WIS-TV)
Ray’s parents rushed him to hospital (Picture: WIS-TV)
This is a dangerous medical crisis which happens when there is too much water for the kidneys to handle at once.
It results in critically low sodium levels in the blood and then cells in the body start to swell, including the brain.
This is where Ray could feel most of the pain, as he complained about a bad headache.
Doctors helped Ray urinate more and regulated his blood with renewed sodium and potassium levels.
Eventually, the boy miraculously ‘just woke up’ and asked: ‘Where am I, what happened?’
He has since made a full recovery and has no remaining side effects, but his parents want his story to serve as a warning this summer.
What is water intoxication?
Water intoxification, also known as water poisoning, is a disruption of brain function caused by overhydration.
The increase of water in the blood dilutes electrolytes, especially sodum, which helps maintain the balance of fluids inside and outside cells.
When sodium levels drop due to excessive water consumption, fluids travel into cells, causing them to swell.
When this happens to brain cells, it can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
The symptoms of water intoxication are general — they can include confusion, disorientation, nausea, and vomiting.
Source: MedicalNewsToday
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