Myth or fact: Is drinking cold water on a hot day a health risk?

Here are some ways to hydrate safely this summer.

The summer heat is on - and that begs the question: Is a cold drink a good way to cool down?

We've seen headlines suggesting it could be a health risk.

In 2018, for example, Adam Schaub of Texas took to Facebook to caution people about the dangers of drinking cold water during extreme heat.

Schaub had been working out on a day when the thermostat read 37 degrees Celsius. He and then took a break and drank ice cold water. Schaub said he immediately felt nauseous and opened the door to his truck, where he fell to the ground.

SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

Family physician Dr. Yvette Lu tells us it's not typical for people to go into shock after drinking cold water on a hot day.

"It's always important to be careful when reading things on social media because we don't know the full details of the story," Dr. Lu cautions.

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Falling over after drinking cold water in extreme heat is a rare occurrence. In Schaub's case, he may have been suffering from heat exhaustion, combined with the effects of a 'brain freeze' headache, Dr. Lu suggests.

Watch the video above for more about the science behind this phenomenon and for summer hydration tips.