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| Hyponatremia (Low Blood Sodium Levels) |
Hyponatremia (low blood sodium levels) is a sodium concentration below 136 mEq / L of blood.
CAUSE
Blood sodium concentration decreased when sodium was dissolved by too much water by the body processes.
Dilution of sodium may appear in those who drink water by the bucket load (as can occur using psychological disorders) and patients have been treated in hospitals, which receive huge amounts of intravenous fluids.
The volume of fluid that goes beyond the power of the kidneys to lose the extra.
Fluid intake in smaller amounts (sometimes around 1L/hari), can cause hyponatraemia in people whose kidneys aren't functioning properly, as an example in kidney failure.
Hyponatremia is usually common in patients with coronary failure and cirrhosis of the liver, which increases blood volume.
Such circumstances, a rise in blood volume causes dilution of sodium, however the total quantity of sodium by the body processes usually increases besides.
Hyponatremia is situated people whose adrenal glands do not function (Addison's disease), that has been issued from the volume of sodium that quite definitely.
Disposal of sodium in to the urine is caused by lack of the hormone aldosterone.
Patients with Syndrome of Inappropriate secretion of Pitressin (SIADH) carries a low sodium concentration as the hypophysis with the base of the brain secrete excessive ADH.
ADH causes the body to retain water and dissolve how much sodium from the blood.
Factors that cause SIADH:
1. Meningitis and encephalitis
2. Brain tumors
3. Psychosis
4. Lung disease (including pneumonia and acute respiratory failure)
5. Cancer (particularly lung cancer and pancreatic)
6. Drugs:
- Chlorpropamide (a drug that lowers blood sugar)
- Carbamazepine (anticonvulsant drugs)
- Vincristine (anticancer drugs)
- Clofibrate (drugs that reduced cholesterol levels)
- Anti-psychosis medications
- Aspirin, ibuprofen and also other OTC analgesics
- Vasopressin and oxytocin (artificial vasopressin).
SYMPTOMS
The severity of symptoms is determined to some extent by decreasing the rate of blood sodium levels.
If sodium levels gradually decreased, the symptoms are usually severe and would not appear prior to the sodium levels are actually low.
If sodium levels decreased rapidly, worse symptoms and in many cases decline slightly, but symptoms often arise.
The brain can be quite understanding of alterations in blood sodium concentration. Considering that the initial signs of hyponatremia are lethargy (decreased consciousness state like deep sleep, can be awakened briefly, but soon dozed off again).
Good worsening hyponatremia, the muscles become stiff and seizures can occur.
In the matter of an exceptionally heavy, is going to be accompanied by stupor (partial loss of consciousness) and coma.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing is done good link between blood tests and symptoms.
TREATMENT
Severe hyponatremia is an emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Intravenous fluids are made to increase the blood sodium concentration slowly.
The increase in concentration that is certainly too quickly may result in permanent brain damage.
Supervised fluid intake is fixed and cause hyponatremia resolved.
Should the condition worsens or does not improve after doing restriction of fluid intake, then given demeclocycline in SIADH or thiazide diuretics to lessen the negative impacts of Pitressin on renal
