What Causes Low Sodium in Blood?
Hyponatremia causes can be linked to direct and indirect factors. As our blood sodium levels drop, it is important to take note of recent lifestyle...
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Hyponatremia
There are several symptoms that indicate the sodium levels in your blood have dropped too low. Initial stages of low levels may not present any sym...
How to Increase Sodium Levels
Hyponatremia treatment starts with increasing sodium levels in the blood as determined by the cause. Under a doctor’s care, or as an existing hospi...
What is the medical term for low sodium?
Severe sodium deficiency requires treatment with intravenous medications. The medical term for a low sodium level is hyponatremia, states Mayo Clinic. If too much fluid builds up in the body, the excess fluid dilutes the sodium in the bloodstream, resulting in a low sodium level. Dehydration causes low sodium levels by resulting in the loss ...
What causes low sodium levels in the body?
Dehydration causes low sodium levels by resulting in the loss of electrolytes from the body. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing hormones that regulate the amount of sodium and fluid in the body, reports Mayo Clinic.
What is the adrenal gland responsible for?
The adrenal glands are responsible for producing hormones that regulate the amount of sodium and fluid in the body, reports Mayo Clinic. In people with Addison's disease, the adrenal glands do not produce the right amounts of these hormones, resulting in fluid buildup. Too much anti-diuretic hormone also results in fluid buildup, ...
What is hyponatremia in labs?
What is hyponatremia? Hyponatremia is usually discovered on laboratory tests as a lower than normal sodium level in the blood. It will appear as sodium or Na+ in your lab results. Actually, the main problem in the vast number of situations is too much water that dilutes the Na+ value rather than too much sodium.
What happens if you have hyponatremia?
In many cases, hyponatremia causes extra water to move out of the bloodstream and into body cells, including brain cells. Severe hyponatremia causes this to occur quickly, resulting in swollen brain tissue. If left untreated, complications can include: 1 Mental status changes 2 Seizures 3 Coma 4 Death
How to know if you have hyponatremia?
Other symptoms of moderate to severe hyponatremia include: 1 Muscle cramps or weakness 2 Nausea and vomiting 3 Lethargy, or low energy 4 Headache and confusion 5 Mental status changes 6 Seizures
Why is hyponatremia a problem?
What causes hyponatremia? In general, too much water in your body is usually the main problem and this dilutes the sodium levels. Much less frequently, hyponatremia is due to significant sodium loss from your body. Too much water in your body causes your blood to become “watered down.”.
What are the complications of hyponatremia?
What complications are associated with hyponatremia? In many cases, hyponatremia causes extra water to move out of the bloodstream and into body cells, including brain cells. Severe hyponatremia causes this to occur quickly, resulting in swollen brain tissue.
Is hyponatremia a common condition?
Hyponatremia is very common. Hyponatremia is the most common chemical abnormality seen among patients in the hospital. Rates of hyponatremia are higher among people admitted to inpatient hospital care units or with the medical conditions mentioned above.
What does it mean when your sodium is low?
Low sodium in blood is medically referred to as hyponatremia and can lead to serious consequences if left untreated. As we need sodium for proper functioning, it is important to understand what causes low levels ...
What happens when sodium levels drop?
This can cause mild symptoms of nausea and headaches and eventually lead to rapid brain swelling and death. A normal sodium level is between 135 to 145 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L). Hyponatremia is present when levels drop below 135 mEq/L.
What causes hyponatremia?
1. Excess Water Intake.
Why do we need sodium?
We need sodium to help maintain blood pressure, regulate fluids, and aid in the function of our nerves and muscles. The official hyponatremia definition is the lack of sodium in the blood necessary to regulate the water used by our cells. Once the sodium level drops, our cells expand from the abundance of water present in the blood.
What causes sodium to drop?
Our adrenal glands produce hormones to help balance the water, sodium, and potassium levels. Low functioning adrenal glands and an underactive thyroid will cause sodium levels to drop.
Can ecstasy cause sodium to drop?
These can include antidepressants, pain relievers, and diuretics. The recreational drug known as ecstasy can lead to a rapid drop in so dium levels that may result in death.
How much sodium is in a V8?
An eight-ounce glass of the popular V8 brand may contain up to 500 milligrams of sodium, so be mindful of your daily intake. You can balance sodium levels with a low-sodium vegetable juice if in need of a smaller boost. 2. Maintain Adrenal Glands Production.
How to treat low sodium?
It may include: cutting back on fluid intake. adjusting the dosage of diuretics. taking medications for symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and seizures. treating underlying conditions.
What is the best way to check for low sodium?
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. A basic metabolic panel is often part of a routine physical.
What is the importance of sodium in the body?
It’s important for proper muscle and nerve function. It also helps maintain stable blood pressure levels. Insufficient sodium in your blood is also known as hyponatremia.
What does it mean when you have too much sodium in your blood?
It also helps maintain stable blood pressure levels. Insufficient sodium in your blood is also known as hyponatremia. It occurs when water and sodium are out of balance. In other words, there’s either too much water or not enough sodium in your blood.
Can low sodium cause seizures?
Symptoms of low blood sodium can vary from person to person. If your sodium levels fall gradually, you may not experience any symptoms. If they drop very quickly, your symptoms may be more severe. Losing sodium quickly is a medical emergency. It can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, and coma.
What happens if you lose sodium?
If they drop very quickly, your symptoms may be more severe. Losing sodium quickly is a medical emergency. It can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, and coma. Common symptoms of low blood sodium include: weakness. fatigue or low energy.
Why is my sodium level low?
Your sodium levels may get too low if your body loses too much water and electrolytes. Hyponatremia may also be a symptom of certain medical conditions. Causes of low sodium include: severe vomiting or diarrhea. taking certain medications, including antidepressants and pain medications. taking diuretics (water pills)
Can you cut back on sodium?
Since so many different things can cause hyponatremia, your treatment depends on the cause. If your doctor thinks you drink too much water, you may need to cut back. If you take diuretics, your doctor may make a change in your treatment so the sodium in your blood can go back to a normal level.
How long does it take for sodium to drop?
You may need to stay in the hospital and have: If you get hyponatremia often (chronic hyponatremia), your sodium levels are likely to drop very slowly over a few days and you're less likely to have complications. But with acute hyponatremia, your sodium levels drop very quickly.
What is hyponatremia in blood?
What Is Hyponatremia? Hyponatremia (low blood sodium) is a condition that means you don’t have enough sodium in your blood. You need some sodium in your bloodstream to control how much water is in and around the cells in your body.
How do you know if you have hyponatremia?
Signs of hyponatremia may include: Nausea with vomiting. Fatigue. Headache or confusion. Cramps or spasms in your muscles. Irritability and restlessness. Weakness. If you know you are at risk of hyponatremia and start seeing symptoms, call your doctor. If your symptoms are severe, you may need immediate care.
What are the symptoms of hyponatremia?
Nausea with vomiting. Fatigue. Headache or confusion. Cramps or spasms in your muscles. Irritability and restlessness. Weakness. If you know you are at risk of hyponatremia and start seeing symptoms, call your doctor. If your symptoms are severe, you may need immediate care.
What causes a high sodium level?
Heart failure and kidney or liver disease can affect the amount of fluids in your body, and in turn, your level of sodium. Bouts of chronic, severe diarrhea or vomiting can deplete your body of fluids and sodium. Hormone imbalances. Some hormones affect your sodium levels.
What to do if you drink too much water?
Since so many different things can cause hyponatremia, your treatment depends on the cause. If your doctor thinks you drink too much water, you may need to cut back . If you take diuretics, your doctor may make a change in your treatment so the sodium in your blood can go back to a normal level.
Is low sodium dangerous?
Outcome depends on the condition that is causing the problem. Low sodium that occurs in less than 48 hours (acute hyponatremia), is more dangerous than low sodium that develops slowly over time. When sodium level falls slowly over days or weeks (chronic hyponatremia), the brain cells have time to adjust and swelling may be minimal.
Where is sodium found in the body?
Sodium is found mostly in the body fluids outside the cells. Sodium is an electrolyte (mineral). It is very important for maintaining blood pressure. Sodium is also needed for nerves, muscles, and other body tissues to work properly.
What causes low sodium levels in blood?
Low sodium levels in the blood can result from taking certain medications, including diuretics and antidepressant medications, according to the Mayo Clinic. If that is case, your health care provider may recommend stopping your medication or adjusting your dosage.
Can low sodium cause hyponatremia?
When it comes to chronic hyponatremia, which develops more gradually than acute hyponatremia, the treatment depends upon the underlying cause of low sodium levels. Low sodium levels in the blood can result from taking certain medications, including diuretics and antidepressant medications, according to the Mayo Clinic.
What is hyponatremia in blood?
Image Credit: PredragImages/iStock/GettyImages. Hyponatremia is a condition in which the level of sodium in your blood is too low. Untreated, it can cause neurological symptoms, brain damage and even death. Video of the Day. Kale Pesto.
What are the symptoms of hyponatremia?
You should seek care at the emergency room if you develop severe symptoms of hyponatremia, which include nausea and vomiting, confusion, seizures or loss of consciousness. Severe, acute hyponatremia is a life-threatening emergency that usually requires treatment and monitoring in the hospital.
Who is Maya Dusenbery?
Maya Dusenbery is a journalist, editor, and author of Doing Harm : The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick. Sports drinks that contain electrolytes can help raise sodium levels in the blood after workouts that cause excessive sweating.
What is the best medicine for low sodium?
Tolvaptan (Samsca) is a common medication that is used to treat low sodium. Tell your doctor about any other medications you are taking and follow your doctor’s instructions for how to take this medication. If you take Tolvaptan, consult with a nephrologist so you don’t increase your blood sodium levels too much.
What is low sodium?
Low serum sodium, or hyponatremia, is the term used to describe sodium levels in the blood lower than 135 mmol/L on a basic metabolic panel. Common causes are burns, diarrhea, excessive sweating, vomiting and some medicines that increase urine output levels, like diuretics.
Is sodium an electrolyte?
This article has been viewed 646,894 times. Sodium is an essential electrolyte in the body. It helps regulate blood pressure and is needed for proper muscle and nerve cell functioning.
What is the importance of sodium in the body?
Sodium is an essential electrolyte in the body. It helps regulate blood pressure and is needed for proper muscle and nerve cell functioning. Low serum sodium, or hyponatremia, is the term used to describe sodium levels in the blood lower than 135 mmol/L on a basic metabolic panel.
What causes low sodium levels in the body?
Without proper treatment, low blood sodium can cause muscle weakness, headache, hallucinations and, in the worst cases, even death.
Can low sodium cause headaches?
Without proper treatment, low blood sodium can cause muscle weakness, headache, hallucinations and, in the worst cases, even death. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source.
Is WikiHow a copyright?
All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not</b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website.
Overview
- 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'…
Treatment
- Hyponatremia treatment is aimed at addressing the underlying cause, if possible.If you have moderate, chronic hyponatremia due to your diet, diuretics or drinking too much water, your doctor may recommend temporarily cutting back on fluids. He or she may also suggest adjusting your diuretic use to increase the level of sodium in your blood.If you have severe, acute hyponatr…
- It is important to remember that the major problem with hyponatremia is cerebral edema. Therefore, medical care should be sought when individuals develop altered mental status, confusion, or lethargy; have had a seizure; or cannot be wakened. In these situations, activating emergency medical service (calling 911 if available) should be considered. If the patient present…
- The recommendations for treatment of hyponatremia rely on the current understanding of the central nervous system (CNS) adaptation to an alteration in serum osmolality. In the setting of an acute fall in the serum osmolality, neuronal cell swelling occurs due to the water shift from the extracellular space to the intracellular space (ie, Starling forces). Therefore, correction of hypon…
- If hyponatremia is diagnosed, a careful history should be taken from the patients or their caregivers to find out if the patients are taking any medications that could result in hyponatremia. Stopping the medication usually helps to solve the problem.
Signs And Symptoms
- The symptoms of hyponatremia tend to be neurologic. Patients may complain of with headache, nausea and vomiting, lethargy, and confusion. If the sodium concentration drops quickly to critical levels, seizures, coma, and death may occur.
- Hyponatremia signs and symptoms may include: 1. Nausea and vomiting 2. Headache 3. Confusion 4. Loss of energy, drowsiness and fatigue 5. Restlessness and irritability 6. Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps 7. Seizures 8. Coma...
- Symptoms of hyponatremia may be mild like: Nausea, vomiting, headache, and muscle cramps, or Symptoms may be serious like alteration in mental status including confusion, seizures and coma.
- Patients with hyponatremia usually are asymptomatic. Symptoms often do not occur until the serum sodium concentration drops below 125 mEq per L (125 mmol per L). The most common manifestations of hyponatremia are neurologic, the result of swelling of brain cells secondary to intracellular movement of water. Patients with severe hyponatremia may present with nausea, h…
Causes
- The amount of water in the body is too low as can occur in dehydration. The anti-diuretic hormone is stimulated, causing the kidneys to make very concentrated urine and hold onto water. This may be seen with excessive sweating and exercising in a hot environment. It can also occur in patients with excess fluid loss due to vomiting and diarrhea, pancreatitis, and burns.
- 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 h…
- Hyponatremia is most commonly associated with states of hypotonicity; however, it can also occur in states of normal or high osmolarity. Hyponatremia in association with normal tonicity is a laboratory phenomenon. It is caused by extreme hyperlipidemia or hyperproteinemia13,14 and now rarely occurs as a result of improved laboratory techniques for measuring serum sodium. H…
- Hyponatremia caused by SIADH is due to increased release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). SIADH has been associated with many drugs often used in psychiatric patients, including nicotine, barbiturates, carbamazepine, antipsychotics, and antidepressants.9...
Diagnosis
- Your doctor will start by asking about your medical history and doing a physical examination.However, because the signs and symptoms of hyponatremia occur in many conditions, it's impossible to diagnose the condition based on a physical exam alone. To confirm low blood sodium, your doctor will order blood tests and urine tests.
- The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, the European Society of Endocrinology, and the European Renal AssociationEuropean Dialysis and Transplant Association have released guidelines on the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of true hypotonic hyponatremia. Treatment recommendations include the following [2] :
- SIADH is characterized by the continued release of ADH in the face of dilution of body fluids and increased extracellular volume. The urine is inappropriately concentrated when the body is trying to correct a state of hypotonicity. SIADH is a diagnosis of exclusion. The diagnostic criteria for SIADH are listed in Table 1,13 and the etiologies of this disorder are summarized in Table 2.15 S…
- The fundamental criteria considered when diagnosing hyponatremia are plasma osmolality, urinary electrolytes, volume status, fractional excretion of sodium (FeNa), and the ability to rule out hypothyroidism and glucocorticoid deficiency.20Hypovolemic hyponatremia is usually seen in patients presenting with severe diarrhea or vomiting and urine sodium values <30 mmol/L.6 In e…
Pathophysiology
- Neurologic changes are the most concerning consequence of hyponatremia. Cerebral edema (excess fluid in the brain, leading to swelling) may occur with severe or acute hyponatremia. Water enters the brain cells causing them to swell. Because the brain is enclosed in a bony skull that cannot expand, the brain is compressed since there is no room for swelling to occur. As a r…
- The condition in which plasma level of sodium falls to below 135 mmol/L is called hyponatremia. Hyponatremia causes movement of excess water in the cells, causing them to swell. The cells of the brain in particular are unable to cope up with this swelling since they are confined within the bones of the skull. Thus, many of the symptoms caused by hyponatremia, especially severe cas…
- The clinical manifestations of hypernatremia are nonspecific and often subtle in the elderly. They are primarily central nervous system (CNS) manifestations, such as irritability, restlessness, lethargy, muscular twitching, spasticity and hyperreflexia, all of which are secondary to decreased water content in the brain cells.13 Water exits the intra-cellular compartment, and cells shrink. I…
- The mechanism by which hyponatremia develops varies according to disease state, and arginine vasopressin (AVP) regularly plays a critical role in both hypervolemic and euvolemic hyponatremia. In healthy individuals, the mechanism for free water excretion is due to AVP suppression caused by a fall in plasma osmolality.10 However, patients with hyponatremia are u…
Management
- An algorithm based on widely accepted recommendations, expert opinion and published consensus guideline has recently been developed for adults:Copyright © 2015 The Authors European Journal of Clinical Investigation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation. 1. Correct underlying c…
- Consultation with either a nephrologist or a critical care specialist is often of considerable value in managing patients with symptomatic or refractory hyponatremia.
- Management of abnormalities in water homeostasis is frequently challenging. Because age-related changes and chronic diseases are often associated with impairment of water metabolism in elderly patients, it is absolutely essential for clinicians to be aware of the pathophysiology of hyponatremia and hypernatremia in the elderly. The sensation of thirst, renal function, concentra…
Classification
- Hypernatremia is primarily a defect in water intake and usually implies an impairment in the thirst mechanism or a lack of access to adequate fluid intake. Hypernatremia may be broadly viewed in four major etiologic categories, as follows13:
- Hyponatremia presents as hypertonic or hypotonic; however, only hypotonic hyponatremia is of clinical relevance. Hypertonic hyponatremia is often due to a laboratory error caused by marked elevations of lipids or plasma proteins (pseudohyponatremia) or to a marked increase in plasma glucose.6 Hypotonic hyponatremia is categorized by severity and volume status. Severity of hyp…
Prevention
- Studies have suggested that long distance runners develop hyponatremia not infrequently after prolonged exercise and should drink adequate amounts of fluid to match their thirst requirements as well as replace sodium along with water during prolonged or extreme exercise. Ideally, a person should not lose more than 2% of their body weight during exercise in order to prevent de…
- The following measures may help you prevent hyponatremia: 1. Treat associated conditions. Getting treatment for conditions that contribute to hyponatremia, such as adrenal gland insufficiency, can help prevent low blood sodium. 2. Educate yourself. If you have a medical condition that increases your risk of hyponatremia or you take diuretic medications, be aware of …
- Treatment will depend on the cause but adjusting levels of water and salt intake should be adequate for preventing any imbalance. For every two quarts of water consumed per day consider adding 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt.Severe hyponatremia can be treated by infusing a solution of 5% sodium chloride in water into the bloodstream. Moderate hyponatremia due to use of diuretics o…
- Prolonged and excessive sweating increases the risk that an athlete will alter the delicate balance of blood-sodium concentration. Because sodium is lost in sweat it is important for those exercising at high intensities for long periods of time to replace any loses. The best way for an athlete to avoid such problems is to plan ahead by training in the same conditions you will en…
Epidemiology
- 1. Hyponatraemia is the most common electrolyte abnormality encountered in clinical practice. 2. An accurate incidence of mild hyponatraemia managed in the community is impossible, as it is rarely reported. 3. Hyponatraemia is associated with multiple poor clinical outcomes and is often managed suboptimally because of inadequate assessment and investigation. 4. There is no sex …
- Hyponatremia is seen in about 4% of patients with chronic schizophrenia and occasionally in patients with other psychiatric disorders.2 Primary polydipsia is prominent in patients with psychosis, affecting nearly 7% of patients with schizophrenia. In addition to the underlying psychosis, psychotropic drugs may cause the sensation of a dry mouth, which may contribute t…
- In fact, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 13 percent of Boston Marathon runners developed hyponatremia from drinking too much water. While another study published in the same journal found that 10.6 percent of Ironman European Championship participants developed water intoxication. Specifically, the female triathletes with a racing time …