Why can't we drink sea water? & bull; hello healthy

Drinking sea water is not allowed, even when you are in a state of surviving in the sea though. Salt water is water that has been contaminated with salt and other minerals, such as mercury or arsenic. And seawater is an example of water that has a high salt content. The concentration of salt in the body is about 75 percent less than that contained by seawater. Although properly prepared salt water can be a source of drinking water or as part of a cleansing object, and help post-concussion patients suffering from elevated blood pressure, in most cases, drinking salt water is not healthy for you.

Effects of drinking sea water for health

1. Dehydration

Salt can dehydrate the body, so the more salt water you drink, the more fluids you will lose. According to Marine Knowledge, when you drink sea water, the water that is already in your body will be diverted to help the body dissolve excess salt. As a result, other bodily functions will start to suffer due to lack of water in your system. Dehydration causes increased thirst, and also causes you to urinate more frequently. This is because your body is trying to get rid of excess salt. With a lack of fluids and excess urine excretion, the problem of dehydration will get worse.

2. Kidney failure

Your kidneys are responsible for filtering excess chemicals from your blood. When you swallow salt water, you increase the amount of salt in the kidneys that filters the blood. That way, the kidneys have to get rid of the salt with the help of a large amount of water. The water and salt are filtered and excreted in your urine. During a long period of consuming seawater, excess water floods the kidneys, and the kidneys begin to damage. This can lead to serious complications and even death.

3. Acute symptoms

Within a few hours of drinking salt water, you may experience symptoms related to the high levels of salt present in your body, according to Western Journal of Medicine. The initial symptoms can be marked by severe diarrhea and don't go away. Your intestines can only absorb a certain amount of salt for a certain period of time. Sea water causes excess salt to often remain in the intestinal tract, so that water flows out of the cells and into the intestinal tract. This condition causes the intestinal contents to become watery, resulting in diarrhea.

An increase in the amount of urine passed is also an acute symptom of swallowing salt water. Salt is filtered by the kidneys with a large amount of water in order to be disposed of properly. This large volume of water will significantly increase your urine output. Both of these symptoms can cause a very fatal loss of fluid.

4. Chronic symptoms

Long-term intake of salt water causes severe dehydration, which can have serious effects. Your body tends to chronically lose large amounts of water in digesting salt water. You can experience hallucinations and delirium. Often times, you will lose consciousness and suffer seizures. Your body cannot function without water, and by the time you lose 15% of the total water in your body, you are at high risk for coma, brain damage, and even death.