Hyponatremia (low level of sodium in the blood)

[Lizzy Liz]

In hyponatremia, the level of sodium in blood is too low.

A low sodium level has many causes, including consumption of too many fluids, kidney failure, heart failure, cirrhosis, and use of diuretics.
Symptoms result from brain dysfunction.
At first, people become sluggish and confused, and if hyponatremia worsens, they may have muscle twitches and seizures and become progressively unresponsive.
The diagnosis is based on blood tests to measure the sodium level.
Restricting fluids and stopping use of diuretics can help, but severe hyponatremia is an emergency requiring use of drugs, intravenous fluids, or both.

(See also Overview of Electrolytes and Overview of Sodium