Ice water in the heat: why you shouldn’t drink it in one gulp after the sun

When it’s hot, your hand naturally reaches for a bottle of ice water. But if you drink it in one gulp immediately after the sun, you may get not a benefit, but a spasm, pain and an unpleasant reaction of the body.

Main clarification: cold water in itself is usually not dangerous for a healthy person. On the contrary, in hot weather it is important to drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration and overheating. But the drink is too cold drunk quickly and in large quantities immediately after severe overheating, can actually cause health problems.

What happens if you drink ice water too quickly?

After a long stay in the sun, the body is already under stress: a person sweats, loses fluid and salts, breathing and pulse quicken. If at this moment you suddenly drink very cold water in large sips, unpleasant reactions from the throat, esophagus, stomach and nervous system are possible.

• Spasm and pain in the throat or behind the sternum. For sensitive people, a very cold drink can cause a sharp, painful reaction when swallowing.
• Discomfort in the stomach. Sometimes heaviness, cramps, nausea or a feeling that the stomach is “cramped” appear.
• “Brain chill” or sharp headache. Drinking an ice-cold drink too quickly can cause short-term but quite severe pain.
• False feeling of rapid cooling. A person drinks very cold water in one gulp, but at the same time forgets about the main thing – you need to not just cool down for a second, but gradually restore your water balance.

Is it true that ice water “damages your throat”?

This is one of the most common myths of summer. A cold drink by itself does not “burn” or “destroy” the throat. Moreover, when you have a sore throat, cool drinks and soft, cool food often even help reduce discomfort.

But if a person is already overheated, has an irritated throat, has increased sensitivity, or drinks ice water too quickly, the cold can cause pain, severe discomfort and unpleasant sensations when swallowing. That is, the problem is often not in the fact of cold water itself, but in its temperature, volume and speed of consumption.

What is more important for the body in the heat?

At high temperatures, the main risk is not from cold water, but from dehydration, heat exhaustion And heatstroke. Water helps prevent dehydration, which can lead to overheating, weakness, confusion and other problems.

What is much more important is not whether you drink cool or room temperature water, but whether do you drink it regularly. If a person hardly drinks in the heat, and then tries to “fix everything” with a bottle of ice water at once, the body usually does not like it.

Four mistakes with cold water in hot weather

1. Drink in one gulp immediately after the sun shines. It’s better to take a few small sips rather than drink half a bottle in a few seconds.
2. Choose an almost ice-cold drink instead of just a cool one. Most people find cool rather than extremely cold water more comfortable.
3. Ignore signs of overheating. If there is weakness, dizziness, nausea or confusion, the problem cannot be solved with water alone – you need to go into the shadows and monitor the condition.
4. Drinking too much too quickly. Drinking too much fluid in a short time can also be harmful, especially during strenuous physical activity.

How to drink water safer in the heat

The smartest option is to drink regularly and in small portions. If a person is overheated, it is better to first go into the shade or a cool room, calm your breathing a little, and then drink water in small sips.

• choose coolnot ice water;
• do not drink in large sips immediately after severe overheating;
• if you sweat a lot, do not forget about proper nutrition and replenishment of salts;
• Do not replace water only with alcohol, energy drinks or very sweet drinks.

Occupational safety experts in the United States separately warn that drinking too much liquid in a short time is also not worth it: this can lead to a dangerous decrease in the concentration of salt in the blood. Therefore, in hot weather, it is not the record for liters in five minutes that is important, but smooth and reasonable drinking regime.

When to be wary

If, after the heat and an attempt to cool down suddenly, a person develops severe weakness, confusion, vomiting, chest pain, severe shortness of breath, convulsions or loss of consciousness, this is no longer a story about “too cold water”, but a reason to think about severe overheating and immediately seek help.

People with chronic stomach diseases, hypersensitivity of the esophagus, migraines and those who do not tolerate extreme cold should also be more careful. For them, extremely icy drinks may be more unpleasant than for most other people.

Main conclusion

It is imperative to drink water in hot weather. But it is better not to turn cooling into a shock for the body. Cool water, small sips, shade and calm recovery from the sun work more reliably than trying to relieve overheating with a bottle of ice water in half a minute.

Sources and recommendations

CDC: About Water and Healthier Drinks | CDC/NIOSH: Heat Stress – Hydration | NHS: Sore throat | NHS inform: Sore throat

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