Indiana mom dies at 35 from drinking too much water: What to know about water toxicity

A family is in mourning after an Indiana mother drank too much water and died from water toxicity. Experts say water poisoning is real and there are ways to prevent it.

Ashley Miller Summers, 35, died from water toxicity over Fourth of July weekend, her family told "Good Morning America" and Indianapolis television station WRTV.

Her brother Devon Miller, honored her in a Facebook post on July 7 and said she was boating that weekend and felt “severely dehydrated.” She drank a lot of water, including four bottles in less than 30 minutes, he said.

Essentially, her brain swelled to the point that blood supply to her brain was cut off, he wrote in one of his posts.

“Someone said that she drank four bottles of water in that 20 minutes. And I mean, you know, average water bottle is, her bottle of water is like 16 ounces,” her brother told WRTV. “So, that was 64 ounces that she drank in the span of 20 minutes. That’s half a gallon. That’s what you’re supposed to drink in a whole day.”

Once they returned home, she passed out in the family’s garage and never woke up, the station said.

According to doctors, she died from water toxicity.

Too much liquid:Fatal electrolyte imbalance possible from drinking too much liquid | Fact check

How much water is too much? What to know about water toxicity

Experts say it is important to drink plenty of water because it helps to regulate body temperature, flush out toxins and improve bowel movements.

Just how much water is OK for each person depends largely on the individual though. Some factors include activity levels, a person’s health, and temperature and humidity. 

It’s best to drink water during and between meals, before, during and after exercise and whenever you feel thirsty, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Doctors say men should drink 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of liquids in one day while women should have about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters). Shooting for eight glasses of water every day is OK too, experts say.

But it is possible to drink too much water. Doctors say people can check their own hydration levels by looking at the color of their urine.

Look out for the following colors:

• Light brown, deep yellow: Dehydrated
• Pale yellow, resembles lemonade: Hydrated 
• Clear: Over-hydrated

And if you drink too much water, it’s possible to suffer from water intoxication or poisoning. This occurs when there is too much water released from your kidneys, causing you to urinate more frequently and diluting the electrolytes in your body. 

This can lead to hyponatremia, or low levels of sodium in the blood. Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea and vomiting, low blood pressure, headaches, confusion or disorientation, fatigue and muscle cramps. 

Family mourns the loss of Indiana mother

Summers leaves behind her husband Cody and two daughters under the age of 10, Brooklyn and Brynlee. 

After losing his sister to water toxicity, Miller posted a warning on July 26 for families to take heed.

“Please monitor the amount of water you drink,” he cautioned. “And if you feel like you can't get enough, try to have a Gatorade or other drink that replenishes your electrolytes.”

How much is OK:How much water should you drink? Your guide to knowing if you are drinking enough.