Hyponatremia/Dehydration

Hyponatremia means that you are low in your blood sodium level. This can either be mild or severe depending on your other medical conditions.Your body cannot function without sodium. Sodium, like potassium, is an electrolyte. All of the water levels that you carry in your cells are made to be functional due to sodium. Sodium also plays a role in blood pressure regulation, along with muscle and nerve support. The main cause of sodium becoming depleted from your system is drinking large amounts of fluids.If the body becomes too low in sodium, then there will be a swelling within your cells, and your water levels will steadily increase. Sometimes the problem from this abnormality can be slight and not troublesome, and other times, very dangerous.

Hyponatremia means that you are low in our blood sodium level. This can either be mild or severe depending on your other medical conditions.Your body cannot function without sodium. Sodium, like potassium, is an electrolyte. All of the water levels that you carry in your cells are made to be functional due to sodium. Sodium also plays a role in blood pressure regulation, along with muscle and nerve support.

The main cause of sodium becoming depleted from your system is drinking large amounts of fluids.If the body becomes too low in sodium, then there will be a swelling within your cells, and your water levels will steadily increase. Sometimes the problem from this abnormality can be slight and not troublesome, and other times, very dangerous. Cramps and/or muscle spasms 8. A seizure type of activity 9. Loss of consciousness There are different types of hyponatremia. They are:

1. Hypervolemic hypernatremia which is where the excess fluid build-up washes out the sodium concentration. When kidneys, liver, or the heart do not work properly, this is the type of hyponatremia experienced.
2. Euvolemic Hyponatremia is when sodium levels are below normal, but water levels are fine. There are various medical problems that cause this type of hyponatremia.
3. Hypovolemic hypernatremia causes both water and sodium levels to be below normal. Heat exhaustion, and a large blood loss can cause this type of hypernatremia.
Treating this condition once discovered depends upon how severe the hyponatremia is. Normal sodium levels are between 136 and 145. When levels are under the 135 mark, it needs to be re-tested to see if the abnormality is still present. If the levels are radically lower than the 135 mark, action needs to be taken.
Your doctor will examine possible causes such as:
1. Diuretics which remove excess water from the blood
2. Hypothyroidism
3. Diabetes since this disease causes you to drink excessive amounts of fluid due to intensive thirst levels.
4. Other medications that cause you to perspire a lot, and in turn, you are having a great fluid loss losing your sodium.
5. Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia cause a big loss of potassium and sodium in the body.
6. Kidney problems can cause low sodium levels since fluids are not processed properly.
7. Getting dehydrated from the flu or other viruses that cause you to vomit
8. There are liver diseases that will create hyponatremia.
Treatment for hyponatremia depends on how severe the condition is. If you are drinking too many fluids, you will need to cut back on them, and also have a blood test to check for diabetes which causes intense thirst.
If you are on a lot of diuretics, the doctor may try to taper the dosage to keep more sodium in the blood.
Severe hyponatremia requires inravenous in the hospital for a couple days to restore sodium levels to the blood.
If it is discovered that you are having adrenal gland problems, there will be hormonal drugs given to keep the sodium levels up. Adrenal gland problems are one of the causes for depletion of sodium in the blood.

by Jennifer Kirkman
The fact that water can cause fatal overdoses is not well known. Often called "water intoxication" or "hyponatremia" (low salt)1, water poisoning results when too much water is ingested in too short a time without replenishing electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium.

The human body (as with other animals) maintains an equilibrium of electrolytes in the bloodstream as part of its normal operation. Sweating causes the body to lose salt, but the primary cause of hyponatremia is drinking enormous amounts of water, which dilutes the salt in the body to a dangerous level. As the electrolyte levels get dangerously out of balance, body systems begin to fail and the sufferer exhibits signs of crisis such as diarrhea, over-salivation, stupor, vomiting, muscle tremors, confusion, frequent urination and other general symptoms of illness, and their brain begins to swell. This swelling is called a 'brain edema' or 'cerebral edema' and can lead to brain damage, paralysis, and sometimes death.

Water poisoning deaths are a real (although small) problem with recreational MDMA use; for more information about this see the MDMA Health & Water Issues page. There are occasional deaths in the US and Canada from people accidentally drinking too much water, and some from intentional or forced overconsumption, such as the case of a young man required to drink two or more gallons of water as part of a college fraternity hazing ritual.

How susceptible one is to the dangers of hyponatremia seems to be partially dependent on body weight, how much food is in the system, and other factors not yet understood which make up individual variation in response. The body has a system for regulating electrolyte balance and it eliminates excess fluids through urination. Some people's urine regulation systems (partially controlled by Anti-Diuretic Hormone [ADH], also called vasopressin) do not respond as quickly in some circumstances.

Health professionals recommend taking electrolytes dissolved in liquid or eating salty snacks when drinking large amounts of water to make sure that a proper balance is being maintained. For instance, sometimes when people are trying to avoid an alcohol hangover, they may drink (or have their friends force them to drink) more water than they would normally drink. In such cases, salty crackers, chips, or some other kind of salt source can help the body absorb the water and eliminate it properly without risking further throwing the electrolytes out of balance.

Links

1. MDMA & Water Issues
2. E-Medicine: Hyponatremia
3. Woman dies after taking part in radio station contest, SFGate, Jan 2007
4. In hazing, dumb stunts can be fatal, Jan 2005
5. Pledge dies in hazing at Chico fraternity House, Jan 2005
6. Death in Frat's Hazing Ritual Shakes a SUNY Campus, Sep 2003
7. Interesting Water Poisoning story, Apr 2004
8. SMU pledge critical after water stunt, CNN, Nov 2003
9. When Too Much Water Hurts a Runner, NYTimes, Nov 1999

   How important is water for your body?

   A lot of people don’t realize that water is our body’s most essential nutrient. Why? Because our body cannot make it in sufficient quantities to satisfy the needs of our metabolisms. You see, water is required for almost all nutrients to work properly. One of water’s many important functions is to enable our bodies to regulate our internal temperatures during exercise and when we are in warmer climates. Another important function is to help our bodies optimize the balance of our fluids.

   Can water harm your body?

   There have been plenty of discussions about the negative effects of not drinking enough water. Dehydration can cause decreased endurance during exercise, decreased mental functioning, as well as a variety of other symptoms. However, there is another adverse water-related condition, which is actually the opposite of dehydration: hyperhydration or “water intoxication.” Hyperhydration occurs when you drink excessive amounts of water.

   What happens during hyperhydration?

   When you “hyperhydrate,” you can get a condition called hyponatremia. With hyponatremia, water dilutes the sodium in your bloodstream. This condition can be very dangerous because sodium plays a major role in the fluid balance of cells. Symptoms of hyponatermia may be mild and can include bloating, nausea, headaches, and vomiting. More severe symptoms can include coma, brain swelling, respiratory arrest, and death.

   How much water should you drink?

   That’s not an easy question to answer. No one has exactly the same hydration needs. The old adage of drinking eight 8-ounce glasses is one way to approach your daily requirement. However, use this rule as a guideline because there isn’t much scientific evidence to support it. Another approach is to balance your water intake with how much you lose. For example, the average person’s urine volume is approximately 1.5 liters per day. Add to that amount a second liter, which is used up by metabolism to perform basic functions such as breathing and sweating.
   In certain situations it is OK to hyperhydrate, such as prior to participating in sports activities or in warmer temperatures when your excessive sweating will balance out your increased intake.
   Overall, most people drink enough water to suit their needs and should not worry about how much water they are drinking everyday.
   Because sodium is excreted when you sweat, so you can also get hyponatremia after sweating excessively. Notably, in athletes the most common cause of hyponatremia is excessive fluid intake.

   Source: Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport. Williams, MH 2005