Salt deficiency
| Hyponatremia | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | Hyponatraemia, low blood sodium |
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| Sodium | |
| Specialty | Internal medicine |
| Symptoms | Decreased ability to think, headaches, nausea, poor balance, confusion, seizures, coma |
| Types | Low volume, normal volume, high volume |
| Diagnostic method | Serum sodium < 135 mmol/L |
| Similar conditions | High protein levels, high blood fat levels, high blood sugar |
| Treatment | Based on underlying cause |
| Frequency | Relatively common |
| Classification |
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| External resources |
Hyponatremia is a low sodium level in the blood. It is generally defined as a sodium concentration of less than 135 mmol/L (135 mEq/L), with severe hyponatremia being below 120 mEql/L. Symptoms can be absent, mild or severe. Mild symptoms include a decreased ability to think, headaches, nausea, and poor balance. Severe symptoms include confusion, seizures, and coma.
The causes of hyponatremia are typically classified by a person's body fluid status into low volume, normal volume, or high volume. Low volume hyponatremia can occur from diarrhea, vomiting, diuretics, and sweating. Normal volume hyponatremia is divided into cases with dilute urine and concentrated urine. Cases in which the urine is dilute include adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, and drinking too much water or too much beer. Cases in which the urine is concentrated include syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). High volume hyponatremia can occur from heart failure, liver failure, and kidney failure. Conditions that can lead to falsely low sodium measurements include high blood protein levels such as in multiple myeloma, high blood fat levels, and high blood sugar.
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