Hyponatremia is a medical condition affecting people all over the world, but it’s an easily preventable and treatable health condition. It occurs when sodium levels in the blood are too low, and the sodium in your body begins to dilute. This is dangerous since sodium is such an important part of your body’s everyday health. Despite the many people warning you about your sodium intake, you cannot cut it out of your life entirely. It’s designed to help the body properly function, and it must be kept intact for that to work.
When sodium levels drop, it can happen slowly or quickly. If it happens slowly, the effects of hyponatremia are less severe. If it’s rapid reduction of sodium in the blood, the effects become much more dangerous. Some people are far more prone to this health issue than others, and there are some factors that aggravate hyponatremia. Certain medications, health issues with the liver, kidneys, or heart, chronic diarrhea or vomiting, and a condition called Syndrome of an inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone can cause hyponatremia to occur in some people and not others.
1. Dizziness
If you begin to feel dizzy, it’s a common sign of hyponatremia. It means your body’s sodium level is low, and things begin to complicate. The problem with dizziness is that it might come on fast and strong or it might be slower and less noticeable. You might mistake your dizziness for something else, such as a touch of vertigo or even a side effect of sitting too long or spending too much time in the sun. By itself, most people won’t take too much notice of dizziness as long as it’s infrequent and not too severe.
It’s easy to recognize it as a problem if it’s fast, strong, and debilitating, but that’s not how it presents in most people with this health issue. It’s usually slow and steady, and you don’t really notice it because it doesn’t happen too often. It’s when you’re dizzy and suffering from other health issues at the same time you might notice things are a bit more worrisome. If you feel dizzy and you notice anything else going on or anything else feels off about your body or your health, call your doctor immediately to discuss this issue. It might be nothing, but it might be a more serious problem than you thought.
2. Lethargy
The feeling of lethargy happens to people with no concerning medical problems all the time. It’s easy to feel lethargic when you’re coming down with the cold or the flu, when you stayed up too late the night before, or when you’re coming home from a long day or a trip. Being lethargic and not noticing any other symptoms associated with this health issue probably isn’t a reason to panic. It’s when you notice you are lethargic and you’re dizzy, and you might even notice you have a few of the other most notable symptoms of hyponatremia you should worry.
3. Malaise
General malaise occurs sometimes. It’s defined as a “general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify,” in the dictionary. This means it might happen before you become ill, when you’re unhappy or worried, or when you have too much on your plate and cannot pinpoint your feelings to one single thing. If you feel this way, it might mean something else is wrong. If you notice general malaise in addition to being lethargic and dizzy all of a sudden, call your doctor to discuss the coincidence of having three of the most common symptoms of this health issue at the same time.
4. Thirst
Thirst is a major sign of this problem. Your body tends to feel thirstier than usual because of the way the sodium in your bloodstream is diluted. You feel almost as if you cannot get enough to drink, and you begin to drink even more. This further dilutes your sodium, and it makes you feel even worse as a result. Do not confuse thirst as being negative, however, if you don’t have any other symptoms. If you’re thirsty and don’t have any other signs, it might be a sign of dehydration. Stay hydrated, but do take note if you seem unusually thirsty compared to most days.
5. Headache
Headaches by themselves are not a problem for most people other than the general discomfort and annoyance they cause. If you have a headache, it could mean anything if it’s unaccompanied by any of the other symptoms of hyponatremia. If you do have a headache and you can’t rid of it, take note of any other issues you’re having. Are you lethargic or dizzy? Do you feel abnormally thirsty? If so, you might consider calling the doctor to discuss a headache as well as the other signs of this problem you’re living with. It might give you time to begin treatment right away.
6. Insufficient Urine Production
Some people use the bathroom all the time, and other people don’t use it nearly as often. It’s not a problem for most people, but you might notice if your urine production starts to change significantly. Are you using the bathroom less often than before? Ask yourself if you’ve been taking the time to drink enough water during the day and if that might be why you’re not using the bathroom so much. If you are suffering from excessive thirst and can’t stop drinking, you shouldn’t be using the bathroom less frequently. This is when you should take note, call the doctor, and get started finding a solution to your problem.
7. Mental Confusion
You’re normally a healthy, happy, and cognizant person without any mental confusion to speak of. It’s one thing to sometimes suffer from distraction or lack of clarity. You could be tired, you could be unfocused, you could be stressed or sick. It happens, but mental confusion by itself could be a different problem altogether. It could be a sign of hyponatremia. It could indicate your body is not responding well to the lack of sodium, and it might be slowing down your mental function because your body is no longer performing correctly.
8. Nausea
By itself, there is no reason to worry about nausea. You could have a stomach bug, you could be pregnant, or you could just be feeling unwell. If you notice your nausea is accompanied by more than a few of the other symptoms on this list, you should contact your doctor right away. It’s not a good sign when you don’t have the correct amount of sodium in your blood, and it could have a negative impact on your overall health if it’s not handled accordingly and in a timely fashion. Most people suffering from hyponatremia are suffering due to an underlying condition, and that is what your doctor will treat when you are able to identify the problem.
