I know - I know --- negative Nellie but there are risks associated with this ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE / there has already been 1 death. Sometimes the death is not immediate. The ALS association has seen a ten times increase in donations only between August 4 and August 6. The challenge has gone viral, attracting many people. But doctors say, the challenge is not something one must indulge in as it could be life threatening. On July 7, Willis Tepania, 40, died after completing the challenge, he suffered from a cardiac arrest. Former neonatal pediatrician Dr Stephen Wealthall fears that if the social media game for fund raising goes on, it may take someone elses life. He is urging people to stop it. The throwing of cold water unexpectedly over the face and head is an extreme danger, he said. Explaining further that the sudden water poured on the head closes the larynx and slows the heart rate, a person stops breathing due to this; there is a chance that this may lead to death. Some people will react very badly and that someone will die, and it might not be immediately. In normal cases breathing returns back to normal, but it could lead to a rare reflex called the diving reflex. He stated that someone who already has rotten coronary arteries may receive insufficient oxygen and can lead to sudden heart attacks, which happen in a lot of cases, he specified. Dr Wealthall pointed to two instances that prove the dangers of dousing cold water on ones head. As a British navy cadet doctor he observed human beings reaction to cold water, when thrown on the head. The study found that some young, fit individuals who dived head down into the ice cold waters had to be hauled out and resuscitated. Another instance is when in the 1980s the belief that throwing babies in water could help them learn swimming led to the collapse of several babies. He suggests either to stop the challenge for ones own health or just go feet first into the ice water.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 02:53:37 +0000
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