Why Does Heatstroke Make Drinking Water Dangerous?
Aug 02, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
Heatstroke can make drinking water dangerous, generally due to impaired swallowing function, disrupted electrolyte balance, cardiac dysfunction, gastrointestinal instability, and disturbed thermoregulatory mechanisms. Heatstroke often leads to confusion or coma, with weakened or even absent swallowing reflexes. In such cases, drinking water can easily result in aspiration into the trachea, causing coughing, suffocation, and directly threatening life.
Under normal circumstances, heatstroke makes drinking water dangerous, generally due to impaired swallowing function, disrupted electrolyte balance, cardiac function affected, gastrointestinal instability, and interference with heat dissipation mechanisms. A detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Impaired swallowing function: Heatstroke often causes confusion or coma, weakening or even eliminating the swallowing reflex. At this stage, drinking water easily causes water to enter the trachea by mistake, triggering coughing, suffocation, and directly threatening life.
2. Disrupted electrolyte balance: Patients suffering from heatstroke lose large amounts of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium through heavy sweating. Drinking water further dilutes the remaining electrolytes in the body, worsening the imbalance and causing severe symptoms such as muscle cramps and weakness.
3. Cardiac function affected: High body temperature forces the heart to work beyond its capacity. Drinking water rapidly increases blood volume, further burdening the heart and potentially triggering life-threatening problems such as arrhythmia and heart failure.
4. Gastrointestinal instability: Heatstroke may cause congestion and edema of gastrointestinal mucosa. Drinking water can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing discomfort such as vomiting and abdominal pain. This not only fails to rehydrate the body but also exacerbates physical depletion.
5. Interference with heat dissipation mechanisms: After drinking water, blood gathers in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing skin blood circulation, lowering heat dissipation efficiency, hindering body temperature reduction, delaying recovery, and even worsening the condition.
When encountering a patient with heatstroke, never give them water arbitrarily. Immediate cooling measures should be taken, such as wiping the body with a wet towel or fanning, and the patient should be sent to hospital promptly. After seeking medical treatment, strictly follow the medical staff's instructions for fluid replacement therapy, closely monitor the patient's condition, and ensure they safely get through the critical period.
