Question

Electrolytes play a major role in fluid regulation in the body. Select ONLY ONE electrolyte and explain in detail the role it plays along with health problems associated with excess or inadequate consumption. Support your answer with a research article (from a research journal).

Answer 1

Ans) Sodium is one of the body's electrolytes, which are minerals that the body needs in relatively large amounts. Electrolytes carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids such as blood.

- Most of the body’s sodium is located in blood and in the fluid around cells. Sodium helps the body keep fluids in a normal balance (see About Body Water). Sodium plays a key role in normal nerve and muscle function.

- The body obtains sodium through food and drink and loses it primarily in sweat and urine. Healthy kidneys maintain a consistent level of sodium in the body by adjusting the amount excreted in the urine. When sodium consumption and loss are not in balance, the total amount of sodium in the body is affected. The concentration of sodium in the blood may be:

Too low (hyponatremia)

Too high (hypernatremia)

Hyponatremia:

- Patients may complain of with headache, nausea and vomiting, lethargy, and confusion. If the sodium concentration drops quickly to critical levels, seizures, coma, and death may occur. If dehydration is associated with hyponatremia, weakness and muscle aches and cramps may co-exist.

- In hyponatremia, one or more factors — ranging from an underlying medical condition to drinking too much water — cause the sodium in your body to become diluted. When this happens, your body's water levels rise, and your cells begin to swell. This swelling can cause many health problems, from mild to life-threatening.

In hypernatremia, the level of sodium in blood is too high.

Hypernatremia involves dehydration, which can have many causes, including not drinking enough fluids, diarrhea, kidney dysfunction, and diuretics.

Mainly, people are thirsty, and if hypernatremia worsens, they may become confused or have muscle twitches and seizures.

Blood tests are done to measure the sodium level.

Usually, fluids are given intravenously to slowly reduce the sodium level in the blood.

- Sodium is one of the body's electrolytes, which are minerals that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids such as blood. In hypernatremia, the body contains too little water for the amount of sodium. The sodium level in the blood becomes abnormally high when water loss exceeds sodium loss.

- Usually, hypernatremia results from dehydration. For example, people may lose body fluids and become dehydrated due to

• Drinking too little

• Vomiting

• Having diarrhea

• Using diuretics

• Sweating excessively

• Insufficient water intake usually plays an important role.

- People with diabetes mellitus and high blood sugar levels may urinate excessive amounts, causing dehydration. Dehydration can also be caused by kidney disorders and by diabetes insipidus, which also causes people to urinate excessive amounts although without high blood sugar levels,and is due to inadequate or ineffective vasopressin secretion or action.

- Rarely, adrenal gland disorders can cause mild hypernatremia without dehydration. Excessive administration of salt (usually in hospitalized people) is another rare cause of hypernatremia. Hypernatremia is most common among older people.