Electrolyte Imbalance

What is Electrolyte Imbalance?

An electrolyte imbalance involves concentrations of certain blood minerals being either higher or lower than they should be to contribute to important body processes. These are the 6 primary subsets of electrolyte imbalances:

           
• Hyponatremia / Hypernatremia - low or high levels of blood sodium
           
• Hypocalcemia / Hypercalcemia - low or high levels of blood calcium
           
• Hypokalemia / Hyperkalemia - low or high levels of blood potassium
           
• Hypomagnesemia / Hypermagnesemia - low or high levels of blood magnesium
           
• Hypochloremia / Hyperchloremia - low or high levels of blood chlorine
           
• Hypophosphatemia / Hyperphosphatemia - low or high levels of blood phosphate
       

Any of these electrolyte imbalances can be happening at the same time, and they are more common for elderly people or those with a critical illness. Severe electrolyte imbalances may lead to serious health risks if the minerals imbalance is not corrected with supplementation overseen by a physician.

What Causes Electrolyte Imbalance?

Electrolyte imbalances are most often the product of medical conditions, disease, medication use, sickness or illness, dietary choices, malnutrition, dehydration, vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune conditions, or alcohol abuse. Poor blood circulation may make people more likely to have electrolyte deficiencies or excesses of them, and high-endurance athletes are more likely to have hyponatremia.

Type 2 diabetes can cause a magnesium deficiency (hypomagnesemia), and people with too much salt in their diet may end up with hypernatremia or hyperchloremia. Malnutrition often factors into hypophosphatemia, and people who need to be on heart failure prevention medications (Beta blockers, Angiotensin-II receptor blockers) have more of a chance of hyperkalemia.

Electrolyte Imbalance Symptoms

Common electrolyte imbalance symptoms include headache, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, frequent urination, elevated heart rate, constipation, muscle cramps and weakness, incoordination when walking, and bone pain. Experiencing some of these symptoms will be more likely based on the type of electrolyte imbalance, and some of them may come with any type of imbalance. In severe cases, electrolyte imbalances may result in heart rhythm abnormalities, seizures, or in extreme cases, the person may go into a coma.

Electrolyte Imbalance Treatment

The conventional approach to electrolyte imbalance treatment is to orally supplement the minerals that are deficient in the blood. It may be a good idea to increase or decrease the amounts of certain foods in your diet to address electrolyte imbalances. For more common ones like low blood sodium and low blood magnesium, a person can often quickly remedy it by having an electrolyte sports drink.