Well I was doing a bit of research,
Hyponatremia
Definition
The normal concentration of sodium in the blood plasma is 136-145 mM. Hyponatremia occurs when sodium falls below 130 mM.Plasma sodium levels of 125 mM or less are dangerous and can result in seizures and
coma.
Description
Sodium is an atom, or ion, that carries a single positive charge. The sodium ion may be abbreviated as Na+ or as simply Na.Sodium can occur as a salt in a crystalline solid. Sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium phosphate (Na2HPO4) and sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO3) are commonly occurring salts. These salts can be dissolved in water or in juices of various foods. Dissolving involvesthe complete separation of ions, such as sodium and chloride in common table salt (NaCl).
About 40% of the body's sodium is contained in bone. Approximately 2-5% occurs within organs and cells and the remaining 55%is in blood plasma and other extracellular fluids. The amount of sodium in blood plasma is typically 140 mM, a much higher amountthan is found in intracellular sodium (about 5 mM). This asymmetric distribution of sodium ions is essential for human life. It makespossible proper nerve conduction, the passage of various nutrients into cells, and the maintenance of blood pressure.
The body continually regulates its handling of sodium. When dietary sodium is too high or low, the intestines and kidneys respondto adjust concentrations to normal. During the course of a day, the intestines absorb dietary sodium while the kidneys excrete anearly equal amount of sodium into the urine. If a low sodium diet is consumed, the intestines increase their efficiency of sodiumabsorption, and the kidneys reduce its release into urine.
The concentration of sodium in the blood plasma depends on two things: the total amount of sodium and water in arteries, veins,and capillaries (the circulatory system). The body uses separate mechanisms to regulate sodium and water, but they work togetherto correct blood pressure when it is too high or too low. Too low a concentration of sodium, or hyponatremia, can be correctedeither by increasing sodium or by decreasing body water. The existence of separate mechanisms that regulate sodiumconcentration account for the fact that there are numerous diseases that can cause hyponatremia, including diseases of thekidney, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus.
Causes and symptoms
Hyponatremia can be caused by abnormal consumption or excretion of dietary sodium or water and by diseases that impair thebody's ability to regulate them. Maintenance of a low salt diet for many months or excessive sweat loss during a race on a hot daycan present a challenge to the body to conserve adequate sodium levels. While these conditions alone are not likely to causehyponatremia, it can occur under special circumstances. For example, hyponatremia often occurs in patients taking diuretic drugswho maintain a low sodium diet. This is especially of concern in elderly patients, who have a reduced ability to regulate theconcentrations of various nutrients in the bloodstream. Diuretic drugs that frequently cause hyponatremia include furosemide(Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex), and most commonly, the thiazides. Diuretics enhance the excretion of sodium into the urine, with thegoal of correcting high blood pressure. However, too much sodium excretion can result in hyponatremia. Usually only mildhyponatremia occurs in patients taking
diuretics, but when combined with a low sodium diet or with the excessive drinking ofwater, severe hyponatremia can develop.
Severe and prolonged
diarrhea can also cause hyponatremia. Severe diarrhea, causing the daily output of 8-10 liters of fluid fromthe large intestines, results in the loss of large amounts of water, sodium, and various nutrients. Some diarrheal diseases releaseparticularly large quantities of sodium and are therefore most likely to cause hyponatremia.
Drinking excess water sometimes causes hyponatremia, because the absorption of water into the bloodstream can dilute thesodium in the blood. This cause of hyponatremia is rare, but has been found in psychotic patients who compulsively drink morethan 20 liters of water per day. Excessive drinking of beer, which is mainly water and low in sodium, can also producehyponatremia when combined with a poor diet.
Marathon running, under certain conditions, leads to hyponatremia. Races of 25-50 miles can result in the loss of great quantities(8 to 10 liters) of sweat, which contains both sodium and water. Studies show that about 30% of marathon runners experience mildhyponatremia during a race. But runners who consume only pure water during a race can develop severe hyponatremia becausethe drinking water dilutes the sodium in the bloodstream. Such runners may experience neurological disorders as a result of thesevere hyponatremia and require emergency treatment.
Hyponatremia also develops from disorders in organs that control the body's regulation of sodium or water. The adrenal glandsecretes a hormone called aldosterone that travels to the kidney, where it causes the kidney to retain sodium by not excreting itinto the urine. Addison's disease causes hyponatremia as a result of low levels of aldosterone due to damage to the adrenal gland.The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are also involved in sodium regulation by making and releasing vasopressin, known as anti-diuretic hormone, into the bloodstream. Like aldosterone, vasopressin acts in the kidney, but it causes it to reduce the amount ofwater released into urine. With more vasopressin production, the body conserves water, resulting in a lower concentration ofplasma sodium. Certain types of
cancer cells produce vasopressin, leading to hyponatremia.
Symptoms of moderate hyponatremia include tiredness, disorientation,
headache, muscle cramps, and nausea. Severehyponatremia can lead to seizures and coma. These neurological symptoms are thought to result from the movement of water intobrain cells, causing them to swell and disrupt their functioning.
In most cases of hyponatremia, doctors are primarily concerned with discovering the underlying disease causing the decline inplasma sodium levels.
Death that occurs during hyponatremia is usually due to other features of the disease rather than to thehyponatremia itself.
And it is confirmed by a medical website that you in fact
DO NOT have a salt deficiency.