Hyponatremia Diagnosis and treatment
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Hyponatremia is diagnosed with a physical exam, lab tests, and a review of your medical history. Central to the diagnosis is a blood test that measures the concentration of sodium in your blood. It is also possible to get hyponatremia through extreme sodium-free diets. The complications of hyponatremia vary somewhat depending on whether it is acute or chronic (meaning persistent or recurrent, usually as a result of a long-standing medical condition).
In hyponatremia, one or more factors — ranging from an underlying medical condition to drinking too much water — cause the sodium in your body to become diluted. When this happens, your body's water levels rise, and your cells begin to swell. This swelling can cause many health problems, from mild to life-threatening. In low volume, or hypovolemic hyponatremia, both sodium and water levels decrease, but sodium loss is relatively greater.
Clinical Signs and Symptoms
The quantity of water in the cells and surrounding the cells get regulated by an electrolyte called sodium. One of many factors can cause the sodium in the body to get diluted in hyponatremia. The level of water in the body rises when this occurs and the cells start swelling. This can result in quite a few health problems, ranging from moderate to near-fatal. Hyponatremia is considered acute if the sodium level in the blood drops quickly, according to the Mayo Clinic. Acute hyponatremia can cause serious neurological damage or death.
Such cases can be prevented by ensuring proper sodium intake when replacing lost fluids. For example, it's important for athletes sweating excessively to drink sports beverages that contain sodium and other electrolytes in addition to staying well-hydrated by drinking enough water. In all patients with hyponatremia, the cause should be identified and treated. Some causes, such as congestive heart failure or use of diuretics, are obvious. Other causes, such as SIADH and endocrine deficiencies, usually require further evaluation before identification and appropriate treatment.
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Behavioural - high intake of water, often related to mental health conditions such as anorexia. Get prescriptions or refills through a video chat, if the doctor feels the prescriptions are medically appropriate. Please note, we cannot prescribe controlled substances, diet pills, antipsychotics, or other abusable medications. Educational text answers on HealthTap are not intended for individual diagnosis, treatment or prescription. For potential or actual medical emergencies, immediately call 911 or your local emergency service. Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals.
As a result, water moves into body cells, causing them to swell. This swelling causes a major problem in brain cells, which is a change in mental status that can progress to seizures or coma. Hyponatremia is defined as a serum sodium level of less than 135 mEq/L.
How to Prevent Hyponatremia
Severe hypertriglyceridemia and hyperproteinemia are two causes of this condition in patients with pseudohyponatremia. But low levels of sodium in your bloodstream can be very dangerous. If you’re more at risk of low blood sodium levels , be aware of how much fluid you’re taking in and how much fluid is going out.
Hypovolemic is when blood volume and sodium are both low. Our team aims to be not only thorough with its research, but also objective and unbiased. This Dr. Axe content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure factually accurate information. I found this on the net, just thought it makes an interesting connection to edema, dehydration, water intake and respritory issues. I have since healed and since gone back to my typioal liquid intake, increasing slightly due to warming weather, and mostly drinking herbal tea to avoid dehydration.
A blood test can help your doctor check for low sodium levels. Even if you don’t have symptoms of low blood sodium, your doctor may order a basic metabolic panel. This tests the amounts of electrolytes and minerals in your blood. Balance in life is important, and so is balance in your bloodstream. Hyponatremia happens when sodium levels in your body become too diluted; too much water is present in the blood in proportion to sodium.
When a person doesn’t get enough water, either because of limited access to water or an impaired thirst mechanism, they can develop hypernatremia. Older adults and people who are in the hospital for a long time may have worse outcomes. This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by our trained editorial staff. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to medically peer-reviewed studies. The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. Mon99, what I did was take a tiny lick of Celtic Sea Salt with each glass of water during the day.
Medications – Diuretics and laxatives lead to water-electrolyte imbalance due to impaired excretion. Digestive system - Imbalance in alimentary tract due to vomiting and diarrhoea cause imbalance in the fluids. Mild hyponatraemia leads to walking abnormalities in the elderly with a risk of falls and fractures. It can also lead to weaker bone structure making fractures more likely to occur after a fall. Mild hyponatraemia can also lead to memory problems and difficulty concentrating.
Getting ready to fly far away from home and dreading the inevitable ... Using natural remedies like a healthy diet, essential oils, exercise, stress reduction and certain supplements. Helping to regulate the amount of water that’s in and around your cells. With strict editorial sourcing guidelines, we only link to academic research institutions, reputable media sites and, when research is available, medically peer-reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
It's often recommended to reduce sodium to lower blood pressure. Here are 6 reasons why restricting sodium too much can be harmful. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Typically, if hyponatremia is caught in the mild stage and treated, or treated swiftly in the severe stage, it can be reversed.
Also, stop eating processed or packaged food as it contains a lot of sodium in it. Processed meat like ham, pork, hot dogs, sausages must be avoided. Best way to avoid sodium is to eat unprocessed or whole food. One should avoid over-drinking of water or other fluids. Take care of yourself by managing your medical conditions consistently and well. If you’re losing lots of electrolytes through your sweat, what you actually might need is a sports drink or beverage that supplies sodium .
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