It can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, and coma. Many factors can cause low blood sodium. 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.
A blood test can help your doctor check for low sodium levels. This tests the amounts of electrolytes and minerals in your blood. A basic metabolic panel is often part of a routine physical. It may identify low blood sodium in someone without any symptoms.
If your levels are abnormal, your doctor will order a urine test to check the amount of sodium in your urine. The results of this test will help your doctor determine the cause of your low blood sodium:. You should also consider drinking rehydration beverages like Gatorade or Powerade.
These drinks contain electrolytes, and help replenish sodium lost through sweating. These drinks are also helpful if you lose a lot of fluids through vomiting or diarrhea. During a typical day, women should aim to drink 2.
Men should aim for 3 liters. You should drink no more than 1 liter of water per hour. Hypernatremia is rare. It's often recommended to reduce sodium to lower blood pressure. Here are 6 reasons why restricting sodium too much can be harmful. Foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help lower blood pressure. Take a look at our list and see which ones you'd like to add…. Normal sodium levels in the blood range between and millimoles per liter mmol per L.
If your sodium levels drop below mmol per L, it's called hyponatremia. In severe cases, low sodium levels can cause neurological symptoms, brain damage and even death if left untreated. According to the U. National Library of Medicine , hyponatremia is most dangerous when the sodium level in the blood drops significantly in less than 48 hours called acute hyponatremia. Causes of acute hyponatremia can include excessive water intake often in people with severe mental illness or developmental disability , use of the recreational drug ecstasy, receiving hypotonic fluid during surgery or extreme physical activity such as running a marathon, per Merck Manuals.
The condition can also occur from diarrhea, sweating or vomiting. In contrast, when the sodium level falls gradually over days or weeks chronic hyponatremia , your body has time to make adjustments, so you may only experience mild symptoms. This version of the condition is most often seen in people with heart failure, liver failure or lung cancer.
A rapid decline in sodium levels is particularly dangerous to your brain. Hyponatremia causes water to move out of the bloodstream and into tissue cells, causing them to expand. While most of the tissue in your body can accommodate this swelling, it is a major problem for your brain.
As the brain tissue swells — which is called cerebral edema — it pushes up against your rigid skull and the pressure on your brain increases. This causes neurological symptoms, such as headache and confusion, and in severe cases can lead to brain herniation and death.
However, in cases of chronic hyponatremia, your brain has mechanisms that allow it to adapt to lowered sodium levels with little swelling. According to a January article in Kidney International Reports , that's why even severe cases of chronic hyponatremia aren't usually life-threatening. Seek emergency care for anyone who develops severe signs and symptoms of hyponatremia, such as nausea and vomiting, confusion, seizures, or lost consciousness.
Call your doctor if you know you are at risk of hyponatremia and are experiencing nausea, headaches, cramping or weakness. Depending on the extent and duration of these signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend seeking immediate medical care. 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. In chronic hyponatremia, sodium levels drop gradually over 48 hours or longer — and symptoms and complications are typically more moderate.
In acute hyponatremia, sodium levels drop rapidly — resulting in potentially dangerous effects, such as rapid brain swelling, which can result in a coma and death. Premenopausal women appear to be at the greatest risk of hyponatremia-related brain damage. This may be related to the effect of women's sex hormones on the body's ability to balance sodium levels. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Hyponatremia occurs when the concentration of sodium in your blood is abnormally low.
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