A white-collar woman drank soda water for half a year and made herself pass out.
This year, 28-year-old Ms. Xie works as an office clerk at a company on Xudong Road in Wuchang. Due to frequent overtime and an irregular diet, she occasionally experienced stomach discomfort. After a friend told her that soda water could cure stomach ailments, she bought a case and started drinking it. After a few times, she clearly felt that her heartburn and bloating were relieved, so she replaced her usual tea, drinks, and purified water with soda water. Unexpectedly, she suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous at work yesterday and fainted from the discomfort. Colleagues thought her stomach ailment had acted up again and rushed her to the nearby Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan.
The director of the gastroenterology department, Dr. Wang Minglin, who treated her, learned that Ms. Xie had been drinking soda water continuously for half a year. He determined that her symptoms were not from a stomach ailment but from alkalosis and immediately administered appropriate treatment. Dr. Wang Minglin explained that soda water is alkaline and can neutralize stomach acid. Long-term and excessive consumption can have adverse effects on the body and even lead to coma. Nowadays, many people consider drinking soda water a fashion, with some imported brands costing tens of yuan a bottle. This is a misconception. It is fine to drink it occasionally, but patients with high blood pressure and kidney disease should consume it with caution.