What does it mean when your sodium level is low?
Answer From Paul Y. Takahashi, M.D. Low blood sodium (hyponatremia) occurs when you have an abnormally low amount of sodium in your blood or when you have too much water in your blood.
Do you need a blood test to check your sodium level?
A sodium blood test will measure your sodium level – because too little or too much can cause problems. You might have certain symptoms that lead your doctor to suspect that your sodium level may be too high or too low.
How does hyponatremia show up on a blood test?
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.
When do you have too much sodium in your blood?
Low blood sodium (hyponatremia) occurs when you have an abnormally low amount of sodium in your blood or when you have too much water in your blood. Low blood sodium is common in older adults, especially those who are hospitalized or living in long-term care facilities.
What does a low sodium blood level mean?
Low sodium levels may be a sign of dehydration or organ failure. The condition in which your blood level of sodium is abnormally low is called hyponatremia .
What is the best treatment for low blood sodium?
Treatment for low blood sodium varies depending on the cause. 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. infusing an intravenous (IV) sodium solution.
What does high sodium mean in a blood test?
High levels of sodium in your blood means your blood doesn’t have enough water. In addition to triggering thirst, high blood sodium levels can lead to confusion, muscle twitching or a coma. A blood test is required to diagnose high sodium blood levels,…
What to do if you have low sodium levels?
Intravenous Fluids. Intravenous fluids in the form of isotonic saline are used to treat more severe cases of low sodium levels. An isotonic saline solution has a similar concentration of saline, or salt, as the concentration of saline in body fluids. This helps stabilize sodium levels.
What are long term effects of low sodium?
Low blood sodium is common in older adults, especially those who are hospitalized or living in long-term care facilities. Signs and symptoms of hyponatremia can include altered personality, lethargy and confusion. Severe hyponatremia can cause seizures, coma and even death.
What causes brain swelling with low sodium levels?
Unfortunately, disorders like subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain tumors, stroke, and meningitis can all cause hyponatremia, and thereby worsened brain swelling. The way they do this is by altering normal hormonal control of water and sodium levels in the body.
What are the dangers of low sodium levels?
A low level of blood sodium is a sign that your body’s concentration of electrolytes has changed. This condition, which is called hyponatremia , can lead to several dangerous health problems. Early signs of low sodium levels are difficult to diagnose, but can progress to cause brain swelling, brain damage and possibly death when left untreated.
What medications lower sodium levels?
Finally, a number of medications can lower blood sodium levels. Examples of these include diuretics, vasopressin, and the sulfonylurea drugs. When sodium levels in the body are low, water tends to enter cells, causing them to swell.
What are the side effects of low sodium levels?
One serious possible side effect of low salt levels in your body is the swelling of your brain within your skull, called cerebral edema. The swelling increases intracranial pressure, placing excess strain on your brain tissues.
Can a headache be caused by low sodium levels?
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. A headache is a common symptom of low sodium levels and may indicate a more serious condition.