Electrolyte Imbalance Salt Imbalance

An imbalance occurs when there is too littleor too much sodium, also known as salt, in the bloodstream. The condition is calledhyponatremia when there is too little sodium. It is called hypernatremiawhen there is too much sodium in the bloodstream.

What is going on in the body?

The kidneys absorb most of the sodium in the body.Sodium helps the kidneys to regulate water levels in the body.Normally, the sodium-water balance in the body is regulated by thehormone aldosterone. This hormone causes the kidneys to hold ontowater. When this system is out of balance, the body either gets ridof or absorbs too much sodium.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

Too little sodium in the blood may be caused by:

severe vomiting

severe diarrhea

excessive exercise and sweating

burns

diuretics, which are medications that eliminate excess water from the body

poor kidney function, such as chronic renal failure

infections or high fever

Addison’s disease, a condition in which there is not enough of the hormone cortisol in the bloodstream

excessive water or fluid intake

congestive heart failure

Too much sodium in the blood may be caused by:

corticosteroid medicines, such as prednisone

aldosteronism, a condition in which the body makes too muchaldosterone

inability to drink water or not drinking enough water

excessive intake of salty foods

diabetes

kidney disease

heart disease

What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?

Common signs and symptoms of salt imbalance include:

muscle cramps, especially after exercise

weakness, often the first symptom of hyponatremia

irritability

confusion

restlessness and agitation

changes in heart rate, heartbeat, and blood pressure

tissue swelling

retaining fluid in the body

eliminating large amounts of urine

nausea

depression

lack of coordination

seizures

coma

How is the condition diagnosed?

A doctor can diagnose salt imbalance by taking a completemedical history and ordering blood and urine tests. Other tests may be donedepending on the person’s symptoms.

The doctor may also want to know:

What was happening when the symptoms started?

Was there any illness before the symptoms began?

Was the person exercising or working and sweating a lot?

Does anything help the symptoms improve?

What makes the symptoms worse?

Is there any chest pain, weakness,or dizziness?

Is the person taking any medicines?

What can be done to prevent the condition?

A person can take these actions to help prevent salt imbalance:

avoid salty foods, salt tablets, or salty liquids, such as sports drinks

drink plenty of water during exercise

drink plenty of water when taking diuretics

keep follow-up appointments with the doctor forchronic disease treatment

A person who has the fluand uncontrollable vomitingneeds to be monitored carefully. He or she may need to be admittedto a hospital to get fluids to preventdehydrationand salt imbalance.

What are the long-term effects of the condition?

The long-term effects of salt imbalance depend on theunderlying cause. If the imbalance is caught early and treated, theremay be few long-term effects. Severe salt imbalance that is not treatedcan lead to extreme weakness,confusion,coma,or death.

What are the risks to others?

A salt imbalance itself is not catching, although the underlyingcause may be. For example, if a person has low sodium due tovomiting and diarrhea caused by the flu,the flu may be catching. If the sodium imbalance is due to akidney disorder, this is not catching.

What are the treatments for the condition?

Treatment for sodium imbalance will depend on theunderlying cause.

If the sodium imbalance is caused by the flu along withvomitingand diarrhea,fluids need to be replaced in the body.

The person may need medicine to help decrease thevomiting.

Fluids given into the veins can help replace sodium, or in othercases, can help lower sodium levels in the blood.

Sodium imbalance due to kidney disease ordiabetescan be treated with medicines.

Low sodiumdiets may help prevent high levels of sodium in the blood.

Diuretics, also known as water pills, may be given to decreasehigh sodium levels in the blood.

What are the side effects of the treatments?

Side effects depend on the treatments used, but may includeallergic reactionsto the medicine and stomach upset.

What happens after treatment for the condition?

Hyponatremia that is the result of vomiting and diarrheacaused by the flu may be treated and need no further treatment. Onthe other hand, a person who has diabeteswill need lifelong treatment once the condition is under control. A personwith kidney diseasemay need follow-up treatment and close monitoring of blood levels ofsodium and many other electrolytes.

How is the condition monitored?

Carefully monitoring of blood levels can help keep abalance between too little and too much sodium in the blood. If thesalt imbalance is due to a short-term condition, such as vomiting, nofurther monitoring may be necessary. If a person is on diuretics or hasother long-term conditions, periodic bloodtests are needed to check the blood levels of various electrolytes. Anynew or worsening symptoms should be reported to the doctor.