Sodium plays a critical role in helping your cells maintain the right balance of fluid. It’s also used to help cells absorb nutrients. It’s the most abundant electrolyte ion found in the body.
Hypernatremia (too much sodium): Can cause confusion or behavior changes, unusually strong reflexes and loss of muscle control, seizures and coma.
Hyponatremia (not enough sodium): Confusion, irritability, weakened reflexes, nausea and vomiting, seizures and coma.
Hyponatremia occurs when the concentration of sodium in your blood is abnormally low. Sodium is an electrolyte, and it helps regulate the amount of water that's in and around your cells.
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.
Hyponatremia treatment is aimed at resolving the underlying condition. Depending on the cause of hyponatremia, you may simply need to cut back on how much you drink. In other cases of hyponatremia, you may need intravenous electrolyte solutions and medications.
Symptoms
Hyponatremia signs and symptoms may include:
Nausea and vomiting
Headache
Confusion
Loss of energy, drowsiness and fatigue
Restlessness and irritability
Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps
Seizures
Coma.
Causes
Sodium plays a key role in your body. It helps maintain normal blood pressure, supports the work of your nerves and muscles, and regulates your body's fluid balance.
A normal blood sodium level is between 135 and 145 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L). Hyponatremia occurs when the sodium in your blood falls below 135 mEq/L.
Many possible conditions and lifestyle factors can lead to hyponatremia, including:
Certain medications. Some medications, such as some water pills (diuretics), antidepressants and pain medications, can interfere with the normal hormonal and kidney processes that keep sodium concentrations within the healthy normal range.
Heart, kidney and liver problems. Congestive heart failure and certain diseases affecting the kidneys or liver can cause fluids to accumulate in your body, which dilutes the sodium in your body, lowering the overall level.
Syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone (SIADH). In this condition, high levels of the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) are produced, causing your body to retain water instead of excreting it normally in your urine.
Chronic, severe vomiting or diarrhea and other causes of dehydration. This causes your body to lose electrolytes, such as sodium, and also increases ADH levels.
Drinking too much water. Drinking excessive amounts of water can cause low sodium by overwhelming the kidneys' ability to excrete water. Because you lose sodium through sweat, drinking too much water during endurance activities, such as marathons and triathlons, can also dilute the sodium content of your blood.
Hormonal changes. Adrenal gland insufficiency (Addison's disease) affects your adrenal glands' ability to produce hormones that help maintain your body's balance of sodium, potassium and water. Low levels of thyroid hormone also can cause a low blood-sodium level.
The recreational drug Ecstasy. This amphetamine increases the risk of severe and even fatal cases of hyponatremia.
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5 окт 2024
