Electrolyte Imbalance
What are Electrolyte ImbalancesThe balance (concentration) of electrolytes in humans is closely monitored by hormones, most of which are made in the kidney and adrenal glands. In specialized kidney cells, sensors monitor the amount of sodium, potassium, and water in the bloodstream. Another way of controlling the electrolyte balance is stimulating the thirst mechanism when the body gets dehydrated. The body is constantly losing electrolytes through bodily fluids such as sweat, and eating food and drinking is how they are replenished. However, if there are either too many electrolytes and their concentration grows too high, electrolyte imbalance occurs. There is also imbalance if there is a deprivation of certain electrolytes. Medical conditions concerning high electrolyte levels have the prefix -hyper, and those with low electrolyte levels have the prefix -hypo. (Nordqvist, 2009)
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HyponatremiaWhen the body gets over hydrated, the concentration of electrolytes goes down. Hyponatremia is a lack of sodium in the body that cannot maintain the concentration gradient between water and sodium. The water draws the sodium from within the cells out, either causing them to leave the body or preventing them from doing their job in the cell. This causes the cells to have too much water in them via osmosis when trying to reset the concentration. The other way to reset the concentration gradient is to administer a saline shot, which boosts up the concentration of sodium. Symptoms of hyponatremia include a feeling of fullness in the stomach, nausea, incoherence, and disorientation. If it gets too extreme, swelling of brain tissues can cause seizures, comas, and even death. Most often, hyponatremia occurs in marathon runners who have too much water and don't take in enough sodium.
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