Man nearly dies after drinking excess water every day to 'cure' COVID-19 symptoms

It’s a fact that drinking lots of water every day can protect you from a number of health risks. But the limit of consumption should depend on one’s health condition, local weather, and prescribed levels from an expert.

The question is- how much water is too much water?

So can drinking excess water lead to problems? According to experts, consuming too much water can lead to fluid overload and imbalance in the body. The excess consumption can also lead to lower sodium levels which may further result in nausea, cramps fatigue, and vomiting. It's a medical condition that is termed hyponatremia.

We’re talking about excess water consumption because a man nearly died after drinking 5 litres of everyday thinking it would 'cure' his COVID-19 symptoms.

Before we get into the link between water and COVID-19, let us discuss if 5 litres of water can be harmful to health.

According to experts, 2.7 litres of water for women and 3.7 litres for men are ideal levels. But this can be increased or decreased depending on variable factors like weather, diet, temperature, environment, activity, and health condition.

So, one can drink 5 liters of water on a trial basis at first to check how his or her body reacts. But one should keep in mind that kidneys take the load of removing the excess water.  

As for water consumption as a cure for COVID-19, no such thing has been proved by doctors.

Luke Williamson, from Patchway, Bristol was drinking 5 litres of water every day. Due to this, he suffered from a condition that we explained earlier in this copy.

The 34-year-old went to the doctor after he felt he was suffering from COVID-19. He was recommended to drink 2 litres of water every day. But Williamson went further than the recommended level and started consuming 5 litres every day.

As a result, his sodium levels went dangerously low and he collapsed one day. Fortunately, his wife Laura reacted quickly and called an ambulance.

Laura said her husband was unresponsive for over 20 minutes while being taken to the hospital, where he was kept on ventilator support for two to three days. 

"He had been very poorly for a week and advised to drink plenty of fluids. He went up to have a bath one night and, the next thing you know, there was a huge bang. He had got out and collapsed," said Laura.

Williamson has now recovered and is on his way to full health. "The hospital staff were brilliant. They did some tests and corrected his electrolytes. Then he could come home," said his wife