{"id":12866,"date":"2020-04-08T06:25:30","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T06:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=12866"},"modified":"2021-07-02T18:38:17","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T18:38:17","slug":"14-common-signs-of-sodium-deficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-common-signs-of-sodium-deficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Common Signs of Sodium Deficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Our body operates on a delicate electrolyte and mineral balance. Changes to this homeostasis results in a range of symptoms. The severity of symptoms depends on the extent of the depletion of these electrolytes. Potassium and sodium are two essential electrolytes our body needs to stay healthy, and a lack of one or both critical nutrients results in severe issues with our physiology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hyponatremia refers to a condition where you have very low levels of sodium in your bloodstream. This electrolyte helps your body with regulating the water in and around cells in your body. There is a variety of reasons why you might start to experience the onset of hyponatremia. Underlying medical conditions and drinking too much water mat deplete or dilute the amount of sodium in your blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the condition starts to reach critical levels, patients experience swelling in cells as the water level in the body continues to rise. The inflammation and swelling caused by hyponatremia can lead to a life-threatening situation if left untreated. Here are 14 signs of sodium deficiency.
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1.     Nausea<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When sodium levels run low, the affected individual may start to feel nauseous. Nausea describes a condition where you feel ill in your stomach. You might feel like vomiting, even if you don’t have anything in your stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nausea <\/a>can come in waves, with you feeling severe distress, only to have it subside for a few hours. Nausea relating to sodium deficiency occurs due to the build-up of fluid in your cells around the stomach lining and gastrointestinal tract. As the swelling of the cells continues, the nausea symptoms may continue to increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nausea symptoms are incredibly challenging to deal with and may send you running to the bathroom, feeling the urge to purge. The waves may get progressively worse as the condition deepens in the affected individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking anti-nausea medication may provide temporary relief, but it’s not doing anything to resolve the underlying condition. As a result, your nausea may turn into sensations of vomiting.
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2.     Vomiting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nausea is challenging to deal with, especially if it comes in waves throughout the day. However, if left untreated, nausea may progress to vomiting. Vomiting <\/a>occurs as the body tries to remove the excess fluids in the gastrointestinal system and stomach lining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feeling of needing to vomit can start with nausea, and then progress until you feel like you need to purge. If you try to prevent yourself from vomiting, you might find that you’re unable to suppress the reflex, especially if you ate anything in the last 4 to 6-hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some affected individuals will experience initial vomiting symptoms that are sporadic and mild. However, as the condition progresses, the patient may find themselves wanting to vomit frequently. Vomiting can lead to severe dehydration that presents a life-threatening situation if you don’t seek immediate treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With severe vomiting symptoms, the patient will require hospitalization and treatment with intravenous fluids like Ringers Lactate to restore the electrolyte balance.
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3.     Headache<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the body starts to experience the effects of sodium deficiency, it starts to affect cognitive functions in the brain. The brain also relies on an electrolyte balance to function. As the intracranial fluid in the skull begins to increase, the affected individual may begin to feel the onset of a headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient experiences a slight headache <\/a>that persists and intensifies throughout the day. Using paracetamol or other painkillers, you would typically take for a headache don’t seem to have any effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The headache will gradually intensify in severity as the intracranial pressure increases, with the fluid around the brain, applying pressure to the tissue. If left unmanaged and untreated, the patient may start to experience further cognitive symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient requires immediate assistance from a qualified medical practitioner. They should have someone drive them to the emergency room where a doctor can diagnose the issue and issue treatment through an intravenous drip.
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4.     Confusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After headache symptoms start and begin to intensify, the brain starts to experience a disruption in normal cognitive functions. The rise in intracranial pressure starts to cause issues with thinking, and the patient may begin to experience symptoms of confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confusion occurs when the patient can’t think clearly. They may forget what they were doing, or spend long periods in a confused state, unable to act on their thoughts. As the pressure builds, the patient may find that they need to sit down and calm themselves, as the confusion may cause malaise where the patient gets anxious over not understanding what is happening to their physiology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient will require someone to drive them to the emergency room. Driving in a diminished mental state can result in a severe vehicle accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confusion will clear once the patient receives treatment for the condition. The malaise will also lift after the doctor diagnoses the patient and starts the treatment. After receiving intravenous fluids, the patient’s symptoms will rapidly dissipate.
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5.     Loss of Energy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our mineral balance and electrolyte levels play a significant role in our energy levels. If you don’t have the right electrolyte balance, you might find yourself feeling tired in the afternoon. Many people write this symptom off to low blood sugar or skipping lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if the patient notices this situation occurring with higher frequency throughout the day, it could be a sign of sodium deficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, loss of energy occurs alongside other symptoms mentioned in this article. Therefore, if you notice a combination of lethargy <\/a>along with nausea or a headache, you should seek medical advice. A doctor will check your sodium levels by drawing a blood sample.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The testing of your sample takes a few days, and your doctor will either call in your results to you over the phone or arrange for a second consultation if the situation is difficult. Typically, a loss of energy is not a sign that the person is in a life-threatening condition.
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6.     Drowsiness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lack of energy will consistently get worse if the patient does not seek immediate diagnosis and treatment. The patient may find themselves feeling drowsy at the end of the day, and the lack of energy may make them feel like they need to take a nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a good night’s sleep, and then find yourself feeling low energy levels in the afternoon, followed by stints of drowsiness<\/a>, it could be a sign that you need to visit your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, this symptom is not a clear indicator of the condition outright. However, if you experience drowsiness in combination with any of the symptoms mentioned above, then you should make an appointment with your physician immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors will evaluate your combination of symptoms during your consultation before they make the final diagnosis. After checking your bloodwork, your physician will recommend a Couse of treatment to stabilize your electrolyte levels.
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7.     Fatigue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lack of energy <\/a>can leave the affected individual feeling drained at the end of the day, and the drowsiness symptoms may make them want to fall asleep sometime in the mid-afternoon. However, when the patient starts to notice fatigue creeping up, then that’s a sign that the sodium deficiency is reaching critical levels, and severe symptoms are on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you wake up in the morning feeling tired, and this feeling persists throughout the day for several days in a row, then it’s a sign that sodium deficiency is starting the reach dangerously low levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, the symptoms intensify as the situation gets worse. If the affected individual does not receive treatment promptly, then they may progress into a more severe form of electrolyte imbalance that leads to dangerous and life-threatening consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients should have a friend or family member drive them to the hospital for assistance as fatigue may dampen awareness and cause an accident if they try to drive themselves.
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8.     Restlessness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Restlessness describes a symptom where the patient affected by sodium <\/a>deficiency starts to feel a sensation of discomfort at the current situation. The patient may find it they struggle to concentrate on work or other related tasks, and they start to stand up and move around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this stage, the patient may also start to develop malaise where they find themselves anxious at being unable to explain what is happening to themselves. At this stage, the patient should visit their doctor for advice, and the doctor will take a blood sample from the patient to determine the cause of the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient may also find that they develop high anxiety if they leave their consultation with the doctor and refuse treatment. However, after the physician diagnoses the situation and identifies the symptoms, it’s easy to treat a sodium deficiency using intravenous fluids to rebalance the electrolytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most patients experience symptoms of fatigue and drowsiness and a lack of energy. How is it these are the physical conditions of the situation, and the mental symptoms can often produce the opposite effect.
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9.     Irritability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, sodium deficiency produces a physiological and psychological effect on the affected individual. The mental effects of the electrolyte imbalance can seem like the total opposite of the physiological symptoms, and the patient may experience irritability and short temper with people and their surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients will find that the irritability symptoms start as soon as they wake up, and last throughout the day. As a result, the patient may begin to experience mental distress that diminishes their mental health<\/a>. If left undiagnosed and untreated, the symptoms of irritability will continue, and the patient may find that they experience a severe reduction in their quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, it’s important to note that these symptoms on their own make it challenging to provide a diagnosis of sodium deficiency. However, when you visit your physician at the clinic or practice, they will look at your overall physical and mental state. If they notice a combination of these symptoms, they may require blood work to confirm a diagnosis of sodium deficiency.
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10.  Muscle Weakness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another common sign of sodium deficiency is muscle weakness<\/a>. All muscular system also relies on a delicate balance of sodium, potassium, and other minerals to remain functional. When we experience an electrolyte imbalance, it may cause all sorts of issues with the muscular system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients may notice that they start to feel weak, and they don’t have the strength to do tasks that they would not otherwise struggle with usually. The affected individual may struggle to find the energy to rise from a seated position, or they might find themselves feeling out of energy after a short walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muscle weakness symptoms will persist for many days until the patient receives a diagnosis and treatment for their condition. The physician will assist the patient’s situation and look for other identifying symptoms that may be the cause of sodium deficiency. Should the physician find complimentary signs, they may call for the patient to submit blood work for analysis.
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11.  Spasms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, the muscular system relies on a delicate balance of electrolytes to remain functional. Should the patient not attend to muscular symptoms, the body may decide to include spasms <\/a>as part of the symptoms of sodium deficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The muscular system relies on electrolytes such as sodium to assist with the contraction of muscles. When sodium is not in balance with potassium and other electrolytes, the patient may start to experience involuntary spasms throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spasms may occur in the legs and arms, is these muscle groups are the most used throughout the day. However, the patient may also find that they develop twitches or ticks way smaller muscles in the face or neck may start to spasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spasms are a sign that sodium deficiency is at a critical level, and the patient requires immediate treatment. Most doctors will be able to identify contractions as a symptom of the condition, and they will ask you if you’re experiencing any of the other symptoms on this list.
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12.  Cramps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, patients will start to experience the onset of spasms as the sodium deficiency intensifies in the body. Along with contractions, the patient can expect to feel cramps <\/a>occur, especially in the backs of their legs in the hamstrings and the calves. These muscles are critical in stabilizing the lower body, and we use them frequently throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the large muscles in the legs do not have the necessary sodium and correct electrolyte balance, it results in the onset of spasms and cramps that can sometimes be especially painful for the patient. If you find yourself cramping up during the day in the legs or feet, it could be a sign of sodium deficiency, and you should visit your doctor for a diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the consultation, your doctor will ask you if you use any mineral supplements and if you’re experiencing any of the complementary symptoms mentioned on this list. In most cases supplementing with sodium will resolve this issue in the patient.
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13.  Seizures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All the before mentioned symptoms on this list are not life-threatening. In most cases, the patient can return to full health with the use of intravenous fluids administered at the emergency room or the use of supplemental sodium in their diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, should the patient remain undiagnosed and untreated, they run the risk of developing much more severe symptoms that could present a life-threatening situation. If you notice you have many of the signs on this list, you could be on your way to developing a seizure <\/a>due to severe electrolyte imbalance in your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sodium is also responsible for many neurological functions in the brain. When it is running low, the brain starts to move from confusion and drowsiness into a much more dangerous situation. If the patient does not receive the treatment they need, they may begin to experience seizures frequently. As a result, they will require hospitalization and treatment in an intensive care unit.
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14.  Coma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients that are experiencing seizure symptoms one step away from developing the most life-threatening stage of this deficiency. After repetitive seizures, the patient may fall into a coma<\/a>, and it may be challenging for medical staff to revive them to consciousness. In this state, the patient requires immediate access to medical care and ICU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, the patient may recover. However, they might also be dealing with severe issues caused by the events of the sodium deficiency leading to the coma state. The coma is the last stage of the deficiency, and most patients received treatment long before they start to experience seizures that could land them in a coma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms on this list, you could be dealing with sodium deficiency. Make an appointment with your physician, and they will diagnose you by taking blood work to analyze your electrolyte levels. Sodium deficiency is treatable, and there is no reason why anybody should have to reach the stage of the condition.
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