No, you should never inject water directly into your bloodstream.
Here's why:
- Sterility and contamination: Tap water, bottled water, or even distilled water is not sterile in the way that medical IV fluids are. Injecting it can introduce bacteria or contaminants, leading to serious infections like sepsis.
- Osmotic imbalance: Plain water is hypotonic compared to your blood. Injecting it can cause your red blood cells to swell and burst (hemolysis), which can lead to kidney failure and other complications.
- Electrolyte disruption: Medical IV fluids (like saline or Ringer's lactate) are carefully balanced with electrolytes to match your body's needs. Water alone can dangerously dilute the blood's sodium levels, leading to hyponatremia, seizures, or even death.
If someone is dehydrated or needs fluids intravenously, they should only receive
medically approved IV solutions administered by trained healthcare professionals.
Sodium nitrate is used medically only in
very specific and controlled situations (e.g., as an antidote in cyanide poisoning), and only under strict supervision with exact dosing and formulation.
Sterility risk:
Mixing sodium nitrate with water outside a clinical setting guarantees
non-sterile conditions, which puts you at risk of:
- Sepsis
- Air embolism
- Tissue necrosis