Low blood sodium is a condition in which the sodium level in the blood is lower than normal. The medical name of this condition is hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia; Dilutional hyponatremia; Euvolemic hyponatremia; Hypervolemic hyponatremia; Hypovolemic hyponatremia
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.
When the amount of sodium in fluids outside cells drops below normal, water moves into the cells to balance the levels. This causes the cells to swell with too much water. Brain cells are especially sensitive to swelling, and this causes many of the symptoms of low sodium.
With low blood sodium (hyponatremia), the imbalance of water to sodium is caused by one of three conditions:
Low blood sodium can be caused by:
Common symptoms include:
The cause of low sodium must be diagnosed and treated. If cancer is the cause of the condition, then radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery to remove the tumor may correct the sodium imbalance.
Other treatments depend on the specific type of hyponatremia.
Treatments may include:
Mitchell Rosner is a Nephrologist in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rosner has been practicing medicine for over 27 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Low Sodium Level. He is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Low Sodium Level, Chronic Kidney Disease, Acute Kidney Failure, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and Kidney Transplant. He is licensed to treat patients in Virginia. Rosner is currently accepting new patients.
Mirjam Crain-Christ practices in Basel, Switzerland. Crain-Christ is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Low Sodium Level. They are also highly rated in 15 other conditions, according to our data. Their top areas of expertise are Diabetes Insipidus (DI), Low Sodium Level, Neurohypophyseal Diabetes Insipidus, Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion (SIADH), and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Michael Moritz is a Pediatrics specialist and a Nephrologist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Moritz has been practicing medicine for over 32 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Low Sodium Level. He is also highly rated in 2 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Low Sodium Level, Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1, Dehydration, Primary Hyperoxaluria, and Kidney Transplant. He is licensed to treat patients in Pennsylvania. Moritz is currently accepting new patients.
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.
In severe cases, low sodium can lead to:
When your body's sodium level drops too much, it can be a life-threatening emergency. Call your provider right away if you have symptoms of this condition.
Treating the condition that is causing low sodium can help.
If you play sports or do other vigorous activity, drink fluids such as sports drinks that contain electrolytes to keep your body's sodium level in a healthy range.
Summary: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder with a prevalence of up to 30% in hospitalized patients. While treatment of acute hyponatremia with severe clinical symptoms due to cerebral edema is undisputed and straightforward, hyponatremia in general is usually considered asymptomatic or not clinically relevant. Accordingly, a recent observational study showed that appropriate laboratory t...
Summary: Human milk is associated with substantial benefits to infants' health and development, especially in premature infants. Some mothers are unable or unwilling to provide breast milk to their infant. The use of donor human milk as an alternative to cow milk in these infants has risen dramatically in the past year. However, there have been recent reports of hyperphosphatemia and hyponatremia associate...
Published Date: May 01, 2021
Published By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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