While she was thinking of “purging” her colon, a 39-year-old American suffered a cardiac arrest after drinking a liter of soy sauce.
Self-medication can have serious consequences. A 39-year-old American woman suffered cardiac arrest after drinking a liter of soy sauce. Today, she suffers from serious irreversible brain damage. Information reported by the DailyMail.
Excess salt involved
When this woman arrived at the hospital, the doctors discovered that she had 200 grams of salt in her blood. This is five times more than the lethal dose defined by the health authorities! And for good reason, soy sauce is a particularly salty product. She showed signs of schizophrenia and was a priori convinced that she had been poisoned by the government. The American did not drink a liter of soy sauce out of greed, but to “purge” her colon, according to a tip found on the internet. She then felt palpitations, stomach cramps and tingling in her arms and legs.
Severe dehydration and hyponatremia
Due to the excess sodium in the blood, his kidneys, heart and brain suffered severe dehydration. The blood vessels, deprived of oxygen, have shrunk. At the hospital, doctors injected the patient with water mixed with sugar. The goal was to dilute the salt in his blood (hypernatremia).
While her condition was rather reassuring for the next three days, the medical team noted that she then suffered from neuropsychological disorders related to “centropontine myelinolysis”, that is to say a degeneration of the brainstem related with hyponatremia or hypernatremia and its correction.
More precisely, it means that certain signals sent by the nerve cells of the body no longer pass to the brain, nor from the brain to the body. Since then, she has suffered from motor disorders, difficulty in speaking and swallowing. This is irreversible brain damage, caused by the sudden drop in sodium levels in his body.
Watch your sodium intake
Although this is an exceptional case, it is important to note that excess salt is dangerous for health. L’World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consuming it 5 grams per day. In France, for example, the population consumes an average of 12 grams per day. In particular, foods processed by industry, such as bread and prepared meals. Overconsumption of salt leads to cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
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