Author:
Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation:
3 August 2021
Update Date:
22 June 2024
Content
Sodium is an essential electrolyte in the body. It helps regulate blood pressure, which is necessary for the maintenance of muscle function and nerve cell function. Low serum sodium or hyponatremia is the term used to describe low sodium levels in the blood. Common causes are burns, diarrhea, excessive sweating, vomiting and certain medications that increase urine output, such as diuretics. Without proper care, hyponatremia can cause muscle weakness, headaches, hallucinations and, in the worst of situations, death.To increase sodium levels in your blood, you need to replace your drinking water every day with drinks rich in electrolytes, such as sports drinks and coconut water, and increase your intake of healthy sodium-rich foods. In addition, you need a balance between water intake and discharge. See your doctor if you experience severe symptoms or can't spontaneously raise sodium levels in your blood.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Changing your diet
Reduce and limit water intake. Drinking lots of water can dilute sodium in the blood, thereby lowering sodium levels. Drinking plenty of water also increases the risk of accumulating water in the body, the more you drink, the more your body stores.- You can safely reduce your daily water intake. Instead of drinking 2,000 ml of water per day or more, if you know you have hyponatremia, try reducing to 1000-1500 ml of water per day. This prevents sodium in the body from being diluted and eliminated through urine or sweat.
- Only increase your water intake in certain conditions, such as in warm weather or during exercise. Sweating can cause dehydration, so you will be more likely to become dehydrated. This is something to avoid.
Drink sports drinks if you are active. If you are an athlete or someone who is active, sweat a lot, sports drinks can help. Sports drinks help to compensate for the lost sodium electrolytes in the blood sugar.- Any sports drink, such as Gatorade, contains the electrolytes your body needs if you are heavily dehydrated, such as sweating or vomiting.
- Sports drinks often contain the most useful essential electrolytes, for example sodium and potassium electrolytes.
If you don't like sports drinks, try healthy alternatives. Not everyone likes this and sports drinks are not available all the time. Here are some possible alternatives:- Salty water. You can mix mosquito water at home and water will help quickly replace the sodium that your body has lost. You just need to put a pinch of salt in a glass of water, stir and drink.
- Coconut water. Coconut water contains a lot of electrolytes and is good for dehydration. Coconut water contains sodium, magnesium and lots of potassium.
- Banana. Eat 1-2 bananas after vigorous exercise because bananas are high in potassium.
Eat foods rich in sodium. If you think your body is having a sodium deficiency due to sweating or other reasons, it can be easy to replace sodium with your next meal. This will increase and replace the sodium lost between activities. Some sodium-rich foods include:
- Salt. Experts recommend eating 1 teaspoon (2300 mg) of table salt per day.
- Broth or soup. One 5 mg cell of broth contains about 1200 mg of sodium.
- Salami sausage. One slice of Salami sausage contains 226 mg of sodium.
- Bacon. One slice of bacon contains 194 mg of sodium.
- Cheese. 100 g of cheese contains 25 mg of sodium.
- Olive. 100 g of olive contains 1556 mg of sodium.
- Soy sauce. 1 teaspoon of soy sauce contains 335 mg.
- Caviar. 100 g of caviar contains about 1500 mg of sodium.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Sodium is available in most foods that you eat. The healthiest way to increase sodium in your blood is to eat lots of sodium-containing fruits and vegetables. Processed foods are also rich in sodium, but most health care professionals recommend eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
- One cup of vegetable juice contains 500 mg of sodium. Put the chopped artichoke tubers, carrots and celery in a blender, and grind with a pinch of salt for a delicious juice.
- Sweet potatoes and spinach are also rich in sodium. If you are too busy to prepare these vegetables, you can eat canned Navy beans containing 1174 mg sodium in a cup or canned olives. A serving of 5 pickled olives can provide 550 mg of sodium.
- Fruits like Mammy apples, guava and passion fruit contain about 50-130 g of sodium.
- Processed fruit provides an additional 50 mg of sodium, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Get sodium from meat. Meat soups and bone broths are good sources of sodium. Whole meats and beef stews are also rich in sodium. If you don't like vegetables, you can get sodium from animal sources.
- Canned meat is a good source of sodium. In fact, most processed meat (from chicken balls, pizza to fast foods like hamburgers) is high in sodium for storage. If you are not careful, eating these foods will cause you to take too much sodium in a simple but unhealthy way.
Part 2 of 3: Wisely Raising Sodium
Avoid taking diuretics. If you do not have any previous medical conditions and are prescribed by your doctor, you should not take diuretics. Diuretics are also known as "diuretics" because they produce a substance that stimulates the production of urine, thereby preventing the accumulation of water in the body. However, they also cause the body to lose sodium, resulting in dehydration.
- The function of this drug is to get rid of water and sodium in the body. Taking diuretics can cause extra sodium loss, which in turn endanger overall health.
- Some common diuretics are chlorothiazide (Diuril), furosemide (Lasix) and spironolactone (Aldactone).
Note on the recommended dose of sodium supplements. The National Health Service in the UK recommends a daily intake of up to 6 grams of salt for the average adult. This recommended amount is equivalent to about 1 teaspoonful. Rarely are the recommended cases of high-sodium diets.
- A more active person may need higher sodium intake than the average person. However, in some cases of patients with hyponatremia, a doctor may recommend an increase in sodium content. Talk to your doctor to see if you are part of this group.
- Data show that 85% of the US population consumes too much sodium. Maybe the actual sodium concentration in the body is not what you think it is.
- Toddlers need 2 g of salt, and young children only need 3-5 g. The maximum recommended sodium intake for the average person is 6 g (2300 mg) per day.
Balance liquid intake with discharge. It should be noted that the amount of water needed during exercise differs from resting. Estimate the amount of water lost from sweating and urination to determine the correct amount of water intake.
- Do not drink more than 800 ml of water per hour. During intense training sessions, athletes often drink a lot of water and cause the body to accumulate too much water. Clinical studies have shown that long-distance runners have experienced hyponatremia symptoms caused by drinking too much water to compensate for water loss or to quench thirst.
- Vasopressin, a natural anti-diuretic hormone, increases during periods of physical stress. Despite sweating a lot, the body tends to store water. In fact, the physical stress of running can reduce the kidney's ability to excrete by 100 ml / hour (normally 1 liter).
Pay attention to health. Keep in mind that certain physical conditions require special medical attention before starting a high-sodium diet, especially people with body disease, heart problems, and osteoporosis. Before changing anything, you should consult your doctor.
- Very few people need a high-sodium diet. The fact is that most doctors recommend low-sodium diets. A low-fat, high-protein diet is the standard diet for preventing high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the complications
Know the symptoms of low sodium levels. Decreasing sodium electrolytes in the body can be harmful. Severe hyponatremia can be fatal if left untreated. Here are symptoms that indicate low sodium levels in the body:
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue or weakness
- Muscle twitching
- Confusion
- Uneasy and restless
- Unconsciousness, convulsions and / or lethargy are a medical emergency. You need to go to the nearest hospital right away.
Awareness affects the brain. Note that all of the above symptoms of hyponatremia occur when the brain is perceived to be sensitive whenever sodium levels drop (which in turn manifests these symptoms). This is why hyponatremia is so severe that it can ultimately cause major brain damage.
- Brain sensitization is due to the low sodium concentration in the blood causing large amounts of water to enter the brain cells. This condition causes cells to swell. In this case, you need to seek medical attention.
See your doctor. If you experience the above symptoms or suspect low sodium levels, it is better to see your doctor. The required amount of sodium should be just enough, not too much. Your doctor will know what is best for you.
- Anemia can be a serious problem if left untreated. Use the steps above, but don't hesitate to see your doctor if you have other questions or concerns. Although blood sodium deficiency can be improved with the right sodium / water balance, seeking medical advice is always best to stay healthy.
Advice
- Make sure blood sugar sodium levels are in the normal range through lab tests.
