In the hotter months, it is natural to want to freshen up by drinking very cold water. You might think this will cool you down, but in reality, it may not be a good idea to drink extremely cold water while it is really hot.
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It is the same that we have apparently been drinking water wrong all our life! You're not supposed to drink whilst standing up!
As reported by The Independent, July is set to be a very hot month in the UK. On Sunday, June 26, it was already recorded to be the hottest day so far, with some areas reaching 32.2C. Operational meteorologist Dan Stroud has explained that the month of July is at risk of heatwaves but the temperatures remain uncertain:
We can say there’s a greater than normal chance of heat waves from the start of July
Later (in the month), the chances of heat waves will increase
Water-related deaths during a heatwave
During the summer of 2020, around 2,500 deaths were related to heatwaves. During the summer of 2021, five people passed away in water-related incidents in an attempt at cooling down during what turned out to be the hottest day of the year.
Things have become so bad that climate scientist from the London School of Economics, Bob Ward, believes a spike in deaths and incidents could be in store due to heatwaves in 2021. He explains to Mirror:
We are in the middle of a natural disaster with hundreds of people dying across England and Wales. Most of those who are dying are elderly or have underlying respiratory illnesses, living in houses and care homes that are prone to overheating.
And added:
Many of these deaths could have been prevented if the Government had implemented a national heat risk strategy.
Read more:
⋙ Drinking hot water may be good for your health, here's how
⋙ Never drink hot water from the tap, it could be bad for your health
⋙ 3 popular drinks you should always avoid during a heatwave, they will dehydrate you
You shouldn't drink ice-cold water
With the upsurge of heatwave-related accidents happening, medical experts have also been advising people to not drink ice-cold water during these times.
It turns out, if you drink ice-cold water in extreme heat, it can lead to health issues, as this person found out the hard way.
As reported by Tyla, Adam Schaub explained that he had been working out at 37°C with his dad. His dad noticed he was getting too hot so told him to take a break. In a bid to cool down, Adam drank a whole bottle of cold water in one go.
It was at this point that things started to go downhill. Schaub explained that he started 'seeing spots' and got 'extremely nauseous' and had tingling feelings in his hands and feet.
In the truck, I drank some more cold water and very shortly started feeling strange. I started seeing spots, my stomach got extremely nauseous and my hands and feet started tingling
Adam ended up passing out after drinking too much cold water in one go.
Drinking cold water in hot weather can send your body into shock and your stomach will go hypothermic. To compensate, your body will take the warm blood from your hands, feet and head and send it to your stomach.
If you do want to hydrate quickly when it is hot, it is best to drink room-temperaturewater, as this will not shock your body.
Sources used:
Mirror: 'UK's deadly heatwave is 'natural disaster' that could spark hundreds of deaths'
Tyla: 'Terrifying Reason You Should Never Drink Ice Cold Water In Hot Weather'
Independent: 'Met Office forecasts more UK heatwaves for July'
