A 47-year-old Vietnamese man has died after abandoning prescribed blood pressure medication in favor of a social media–promoted “detox” regimen involving salted lemon water and prolonged sun exposure.

According to Dr Doan Du Manh of the Vietnam Vascular Disease Association, the man was rushed to a hospital near his home on December 10 but died before admission. Doctors later confirmed that he suffered a paroxysmal hypertensive crisis, a sudden and severe spike in blood pressure that caused a cerebral blood vessel to rupture.

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Family members said the man had lived with hypertension for several years and had been stable on medication prescribed by his doctor. However, after joining an online group, he became convinced that “Western medicine is harmful” and that the body could heal itself naturally.

Despite his mother’s objections, he stopped taking his medication and began consuming large quantities of salted lemon water while sunbathing daily for 10 consecutive days. The aim, according to the advice he followed online, was to induce sweating, eliminate “toxins,” and restore normal blood pressure.

Dr Manh explained that hypertension is a chronic condition that requires lifelong treatment. Abruptly stopping medication can trigger rebound hypertension, in which blood vessels constrict rapidly and blood pressure rises dangerously.

“When blood pressure becomes uncontrolled, it overloads the heart and sharply increases the risk of fatal complications such as heart attack or hemorrhagic stroke,” he said.

The situation was worsened by the man’s high intake of salted lemon water. The excess sodium caused fluid retention, forcing the heart to work harder and placing additional strain on already fragile blood vessels. Extended exposure to intense sunlight also led to dehydration and an increased heart rate.

“The combination of stopping medication, consuming large amounts of salt, and dehydration caused his blood pressure to surge uncontrollably, resulting in a rupture of brain blood vessels and death,” Dr Manh said.

Medical experts have warned against stopping prescribed treatments without professional guidance and cautioned the public about unverified health advice circulating on social media, including detox fads and extreme diets.

They stressed that managing hypertension requires regular medical check-ups, consistent medication use, reduced salt intake, a healthy lifestyle, and effective stress control.

Doctors also advised families to seek immediate medical attention if patients experience warning signs such as severe headache, dizziness, sudden weakness, or numbness on one side of the body, as early intervention can be lifesaving.

Oracle Intelligence warns that most social media creators are not experts in subjects they discuss online. Whereas credible information abounds in social media, majority of contents are posted by totally ignorant people.