Are you low on salt? Let's learn about hyponatremia

We all try to reduce the amount of salt we add to our food. Because we know that eating too much salt is not good for the body. But did you know that a certain amount of salt (sodium) is essential for our body to function properly? If this sodium level decreases more than the required amount, it can also cause various problems for our body. That is what we call hyponatremia in medicine.

Simply put, what is hyponatremia?

Okay, let's put it this way. Our blood needs a certain amount of sodium to regulate the amount of water in and around our cells. This needs to be in perfect balance.

Imagine that for some reason the amount of sodium in your blood decreases. What happens is that the amount of water in your body increases relatively, and your body's cells begin to swell. This swelling can occur in cells anywhere in the body. But it is especially dangerous if it affects brain cells . This can sometimes start with minor symptoms and progress to serious conditions that can even be life-threatening.

Normally, a healthy person's blood sodium level should be between 135 and 145 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L). If this value falls below 135 mEq/L, we consider it a condition called hyponatremia. Your doctor can tell you exactly what this level is with a simple blood test.

Treatment for this condition may require the assistance of a variety of specialists. For example, a nephrologist, an endocrinologist, or a geriatrician may be involved.

Are there types of hyponatremia?

Yes, this condition can be divided into several main types depending on how it occurs. Although these are a bit of medical terms, let's try to understand them simply.

What are the symptoms of this condition?

If your sodium levels are not very low, you may not have any symptoms. Most often, symptoms appear when sodium levels drop suddenly.

In both normal and severe cases, symptoms such as these may be seen:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Excessive fatigue or feeling lethargic for no reason
• Headache
• Memory and thinking confusion
• Muscle pain, stiffness, or twitching
• Feeling restless, irritable
• Feeling weak

Why does sodium decrease like this? What are the reasons?

There are many reasons that could affect this. Let's look at some of the main ones.

• Certain medications: Diuretics, especially so-called "water pills," some antidepressants, and painkillers can cause you to urinate and sweat more than usual. This can cause your sodium levels to drop.
• Health problems: Heart failure, kidney or liver disease can affect the way the body regulates fluids, which can affect sodium levels. Also, severe, persistent diarrhea or vomiting can cause sodium and fluid loss from the body.
• Hormonal Imbalances: There are hormones that help control sodium levels in our body. In a condition called SIADH (Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone), the body retains more water. Also, in conditions like Addison's disease, the hormones that control salt balance are affected. Low thyroid hormone levels can also be a cause.
• Drinking too much water: Drinking too much water can dilute the sodium in your blood. This is especially true for athletes who run long distances, such as marathons, because they sweat out large amounts of sodium as they drink too much water.
• Excessive alcohol consumption: Alcohol is a natural diuretic. This means that when you drink alcohol, you increase your urine output and remove sodium from your body.
• Drugs: Illegal drugs such as ecstasy/molly (MDMA) have been reported to cause severe hyponatremia.
• Severe burns: Severe burns to a large area of ​​the body can disrupt the fluid and salt balance.

Who is most at risk for this condition?

In addition to the reasons mentioned above, some people are more likely to develop this condition.

• Age: The risk of developing this condition increases with age. This is because older people are more likely to develop chronic conditions. The medications they take can also affect this.
• Pre-existing medical conditions: People with diseases such as kidney disease, heart disease, liver cirrhosis, SIADH, and diabetes insipidus are at higher risk.
• Intense physical activity: People who drink a lot of water while doing strenuous exercise, such as a marathon, are at risk.
• Climate: In extremely hot weather, sodium levels can be affected due to increased sweating.

How does a doctor find this?

Since it's difficult to confirm this based on symptoms alone, your doctor will definitely order some blood and urine tests .

• Sodium blood test: This is part of a standard ``Basic metabolic panel.'' It measures the concentration of sodium in the blood.
• Blood osmolality test: This measures the amount of dissolved particles in the blood and helps confirm salt imbalances.
• Urine osmolality: Measures the concentration of chemicals in urine.
• Urine sodium tests: By measuring the amount of sodium in the urine, it can be determined whether the cause of this condition is something other than the kidneys.

The doctor will arrive at an accurate diagnosis by considering your symptoms and medical history along with these test results.

How is it treated?

Because there are many causes, treatment depends on what caused your condition and how severe it is.

• If this condition is caused by a medication you are taking, your doctor may be able to change the medication or reduce the dosage.
• If it is due to another medical condition , the most important thing is to treat that condition properly.
• If your condition is sudden and severe , you may need to be hospitalized for treatment. Here:
• Giving saline (IV sodium solution) to slowly increase sodium levels.
• Giving medications to control symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and seizures.

Can this be dangerous? What are the complications?

Yes. Acute hyponatremia, in which sodium levels drop very quickly, can be very dangerous because it causes brain cells to swell rapidly. This is why,

• Rapid brain swelling
• Seizures
• Coma
• And even death can occur.

Additionally, research has found that long-term hyponatremia can increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Hyponatremia, Hyponatremia, Sodium, Salt Deficiency, Sodium in the Blood, Symptoms, Treatment