AUSTIN, Texas — It was the hottest July on record in Austin, and all summer long, health experts have been stressing the importance of staying hydrated and cooling off your body.
However, drinking too much water can lead to dangerous situations.
In recent national news, Michelle Fairburn, a TikToker and mother, was hospitalized after participating in the viral "75 Hard" fitness challenge. It calls for drinking a gallon of water a day for 75 consecutive days.
Experts say this is when things can get very dangerous.
Dr. Ryan McCorkle, an emergency department physician at St. David's Medical Center, said the most common thing doctors in his department see when it comes to overhydration is hyponatremia, which means low sodium in the blood.
"That's a dilution. If you've added all this water, free water, to the salt that's in your blood, it'll dilute it out. The sodium gets too low. It causes your brain to swell," McCorkle said.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, this can then lead to complications like seizures, comas and even death. Officials say although these cases of overhydration are rare, they do exist and symptoms include nausea and vomiting, headaches and confusion or disorientation.
For example, in Fairburn's case, on Day 12 of the 75 Hard challenge, she said she started to feel nauseous and weak.
"The most common thing that we see in the hospital is something called psychogenic palliative care. It's usually associated with people who have mental health problems like schizophrenia, where they have this overwhelming urge to drink water. They end up drinking out of their toilet, any water they can get their hands on, and those are the people that drive their sodium down so low they end up having a seizure," McCorkle said.
The Institute of Medicine has guidelines for proper water intake. It's recommended that men drink a total of 13 cups, or about 3 liters, of fluid each day. For women, the recommendation is nine cups, or a little over 2 liters of fluid, each day. It's also important to remember that some foods, like vegetables and fruits, also contain water.
McCorkle said water intake is more based on weight and body.
"In 24 straight days, over 100 degrees, the predominant thing we see as an emergency is dehydration. You really have to make an effort to be overhydrated. Somewhere around three liters is what people should be taking in per day," McCorkle said. "Sure, if you do some kind of TikTok challenge and you're doing something that's way outside, you know, the normal behavior, then it can lead to bad things happening."
On the official website for the 75 Hard challenge, there is a disclaimer urging people to talk with their doctor before participating.