NEGROS POLYMEDIC HOSPITAL, SIBULAN — So what does it mean when you have low salt in your blood?
Hyponatremia is a condition where sodium levels in your blood are lower than normal.
In many cases, too much water in your body dilutes sodium levels. It’s also possible to lose too much sodium.
Many diseases and medications can cause hyponatremia
Sodium and potassium levels in your blood are important. The correct ratio of these elements to the amount of total water in your body needs to stay in balance to make sure you stay healthy.
Actually, the main problem in a vast number of situations is too much water that dilutes the sodium in your blood. As a result, water moves into body cells, causing them to swell.
This swelling causes a major problem in braincells, which change in mental status that can progress into seizures or coma.
Hyponatremia causes neurologic symptoms ranging from confusion to seizures to coma. The severity of the symptoms depends on how low the sodium levels are in the bloodstream, and how quickly they fall.
In many cases, blood sodium levels fall gradually, producing only mild symptoms as the body has time to make adjustments. Symptoms are more serious when blood sodium levels fall quickly.
Other signs and symptoms include: muscle cramps or weakness, nausea and vomiting, lethargy, low energy, headache, and mental status changes. It is very dangerous, especially for the brain.
Anyone can develop hyponatremia, and is more likely to happen to people who have kidney failure, heart failure, diseases that affect the lungs, liver or brain, conditions related to hormone levels or endocrine system, those taking diuretics or anti-depressants.
Too much water in your body causes your blood to become watered down. This combination can be deadly because it dilutes sodium in your body.
If you feel any of the symptoms mentioned, consult a doctor, and a treatment plan will include a diagnostic workup if your blood sodium is low.
The workup will include measuring urine sodium, potassium, and creatinine concentrations. It will also include blood tests that indirectly show your total body water, your levels of sodium, and, in some cases, your levels of hormones that regulate water uptake by the kidneys.
They will also take your medical history, do a physical exam, and ask questions like: What sports do you participate in? How do you train? What kind of medical prescriptions do you take? Did you have any surgery or previous medical conditions?
The No. 1 priority is taking care of oneself. “Self-care is not selfish,” explains Dr. Christine Carter, a sociologist and senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California in Berkeley. Focusing on what makes us feel nourished, and what gives us meaning is part of easing feelings of stress and anxiety, and giving us a more solid foundation, she says.
My deep gratitude to Dr. Joselle Torres and the Polymedic Hospital team.
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