.png)
I have always known it to be called "Toxic Water Syndrome", but here, in this article, they refer to it as "Water Intoxication (Hyponatremia). Well, no matter what name it goes by, it is very dangerous, especially during the summer months, and we should all know how to prevent it!
Hyponatremia, or water intoxication, isn’t a well-known hazard in the outdoors. But it’s more common than you think.
In 1985, South African researchers reported a strange new syndrome of “water intoxication” in four endurance athletes. All four drank excessive fluids during their events. Afterward, they became confused, suffered seizures, and even lapsed into comas; tests found dangerously low levels of sodium in their blood. A few years later, reports of the same syndrome surfaced in a group of Grand Canyon hikers.
We now know that exercise-associated hyponatremia — a dangerously low blood sodium level—is far more common than researchers initially believed. Causes include aggressive over-hydration during endurance activities, as well as the body’s own inappropriate retention of water due to underlying issues with the liver, heart, or kidneys. Vague symptoms like confusion, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as most peoples’ unfamiliarity with the condition, mean that hikers often mistake hyponatremia for heat exhaustion. But hyponatremia is anything but rare: One 2013 study showed that 19 percent of patients assessed for heat-related illness in Grand Canyon National Park showed signs of hyponatremia.
Further complicating things, hyponatremia and heat illness, while presenting similar symptoms, have radically different treatments. While heat stroke requires rapid cooling and often oral or intravenous fluids, administering fluids to hyponatremic patients can have deadly consequences. Worse yet, local providers may not be aware of the condition, leading them to tank patients up with fluids before measuring a blood sodium level.
As with most outdoor hazards, prevention is key when it comes to hyponatremia. Avoiding overhydration is critical: We’ve all been told by well-meaning mentors that we needed to drink eight glasses of water per day, or as a climbing guide once reminded me, that your urine should always be “gin clear.” (Too-dark urine still means you’re probably dehydrated.) But there’s no one-size-fits-all rule here, and the longer and slower you’re slogging along on a hot trail, the more likely you are to over-hydrate, especially if you’re not eating enough to keep up. Instead of slugging down as much water as you can, use common sense: Drink if you’re thirsty. Salty snacks help along the way if you’re drinking loads of water on sweltering days.
Unfortunately, we can’t usually accurately diagnose these potentially dangerous conditions outside of a medical office, and by the time things get dire, it’s too late to treat them in the field. Symptoms like confusion, passing out or uncontrollable vomiting are red flags, and mean that it’s time to call it a day and seek help.
Featured on Backpacker.com, Written by Christopher Tedeshi and published on June 9, 2021N.A.C. News
(Sunday, June 27, 2021)
Good Morning,
It was announced this week that Ontario will enter Stage Two of the Ontario Reopening Plan on Wednesday, June 30th. With this, outdoor activities can now host groups of up to 25 persons. Niagara Adventure Club will open events up to a maximum of 20 persons beginning with the hike on July 3rd.
Ontario's three phase opening plan
Phase Three and my return to work are expected to happen on July 21st. During a virtual meeting this past week with Niagara Casinos and Associates, they made it clear that we will be doing a phased opening, and as such, my schedule will be unclear until such a time that we are operating at full capacity again. So with that, I have not scheduled any hikes for after the July 21st date. Hikes will resume once my work schedule is determined. I don't expect it will take long to return to a regular schedule, but it all depends on Public Health Guidelines.
That's all the news for this week. As always, stay safe, and happy hiking! Lenny Burch Niagara Adventure Club