Miscellaneous

How Is This Even Possible?

A man in the UK, trying to relieve pain from gum disease, drank so much that he actually died. Indeed, he drank 10 litres on the day he died, following two days of the same liquid intake.

But here's the weird part: He was drinking water!

Andrew Thornton overdosed on freakin' water.

He was taken to hospital last December after collapsing at home and doctors initially thought he was drunk on alcohol because he was staggering and slurring his words.

In reality the symptoms were caused by the excess water causing swelling in the brain.

Doctors put salt back into his body in an attempt to counter the effects of his huge water intake, but the following day he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Pathologist Dr Alan Padwell told the Halifax inquest: 'He claimed drinking water relieved the problems with gum trouble, though he vomited a lot afterwards.

'He had been drinking an awful lot of water and vomiting. He had overloaded with water. Your body tells you how much you need. Eat and drink normally and your body will regulate itself.'

Coroner Mark Hinchliffe recorded a verdict of death by misadventure and concluded Mr Thornton died of a heart attack triggered by overconsumption of water.

Who knew you could drink too much water? And 10 litres a day? Had he not died, he could've finally accomplished my long-held goal in life: See if it's possible to fill a toilet so high with pee that it flushes itself.

But the real lesson here is simply this: You may be able to overconsume water, but you can never brush your teeth often enough.

Full post as published by Quiz Law on July 07, 2008 (boomark / email).