Electrolyte Imbalance: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Electrolyte disorders is a typical impairment caused by lack of proper balancing of fluids and necessary electrolyte amount in the body. Patients experiencing this condition have limited access to foods rich in enough electrolytes to supplement their intake. On the same token, lack of enough water in the bloodstream may lead to hyper/hyponatremia, a condition caused by an impaired thirst mechanism, which emanates from lack of enough water. As a result, this condition may usher in hyper/hypokalemia, a condition which caused by fluctuation in potassium amount in the blood. However, it is essential to understand how these two disorders are caused, their symptoms, as well as their treatment methods.

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Hypernatremia and Hyponatremia Disorder

Causes

Hypernatremia and hyponatremia, are the common causes of sodium imbalance in the body. Every cell in the body requires water for optimum functioning. In this case, all cells are not entitled to receive a little or higher amount of fluids to function as needed. Body fluids are not affected by water consumed through meals, as well as beverages and sweat, but slightly influenced by the amount of sodium concentration in the body. Sodium is found in the fluid outside the of cells, which plays a critical role is balancing of fluids in and outside the cells.

The shift in the balance of sodium concentration results into two distinctive water disorders regarded as hypernatremia, and hyponatremia, that affects the cells in the body. In hyponatremia condition, there is a lower concentration of sodium, due to excessive water concentration in the blood. On the other hand, hypernatremia leads to an increased amount of sodium in the blood, which results in dehydration, altering the normal functioning of the cells.

The hyponatremia condition leads to a reduced amount of sodium concentration to the blood, as a result of increased water levels. This may emanate from the increased consumption of beverages, as well as foods rich in a higher amount of water. Through this, the sodium level in the bloodstream becomes diluted, where the sodium level can be recorded to 135 mEq/L, denoting a lower concentration of sodium level.

On the contrary, server vomiting and diarrhoea, excessive fluids intake, that may lead to excessive thirst, or manual activities, as well as kidney failure, may significantly result in hyponatremia condition. According to Nagaratnam, et al., (2017), hypernatremia is a serum acute sodium concentration that is greater than 145 mEq/L, which depicts a deficit of body water to the amount of sodium concentration in the body. The condition is induced by reduced water intake. In other words, water loses are higher compared to the ratio of water intake in the body.

Symptoms

Extra water penetrates through the body cells as a result of a lower level of sodium in the bloodstream. This case, the cells are experiencing this condition to swell, which may be critical, especially on the brain cells, which results in server neurological symptoms. Patients may experience confusion, coma, seizures, as well as headache (Karch, 2017). Patients may experience severe muscle cramps, tiredness, nausea, as well as lack of energy, which is accompanied by vomiting. These conditions may be critical when the level of sodium in the body drops drastically in the blood.

On the other hand, hypernatremia is characterized by increased thirst, which triggers immediate consumption of water, to help compensate for the increasing demand. On the same note, clinical assessments may be depicted through neurological assessment such as osmotic assessment of water shift in brain cells. This results in confusion, seizures, excitability as well as coma.

Treatment

As a way of treating the disorder, water replacement can be done through a controlled manner to hypernatremia condition. However, a slow or inadequate response may trigger further testing, such as administering vasopressin, to help lower the amount of sodium level in the blood. On the other hand, hyponatremia can be regulated through the intake of IV sodium, which helps raise the amount of sodium solution in the blood.

Hypokalemia and Hyperkalemia Disorder

Causes

Hyperkalemia and hypokalemia are among the common electrolyte disorders experienced by many patients as a result of a shift in potassium intake changes, transcellular alterations, or even altered exception processes. As Moore and Barger, (2016) point out, gastrointestinal losses and diuretic use, are the leading factors that heavily contribute to hypokalemia, where hyperkalemia, is triggered by conditions such as kidney diseases, medication uses, as well as hyperglycemia. Never the less, several potassium disorders can lead to cardiac conditions, a life-threatening situation, which may later disturb neuromuscular dysfunction.

According to the survey conducted by Baranchuk, Maheshwari, Sreenivasan, & Benditt, (2018), a national study conducted depicted that approximately 96% of the American citizens are factoring in the recommended, potassium intake. However, this number is slowly dropping, as compared to the previous years, and the surveys conducted in more than thirty states in the United States. However, despite the drastic changes depicted in the study, the Western diet is the primary source of the severe drop down, as a result of increased processed foods intake.

Hypokalemia is highly caused by excessive loss of fluids in the body, which may be as a result of excessive sweating. On the same token, chronic vomiting is another factor that causes excessive loss of potassium, leading to hypokalemia. This results in low blood potassium that is lower than 3.5 mmol per litre.

Among one of the kidneys' function is to regulate water and other minerals level in the body at the optimum level. However, kidney failure can lead to increased amounts of potassium in the blood, leading to hyperkalemia. Poor kidney functioning fails to record the communication signals from the aldosterone hormone, which signals the kidneys to remove the excessive amount of potassium in the blood. Aldosterone signals the kidney when to remove, and when to stop. Through this, potassium in the body is maintained at a constant and optimal level. Never the less, diseases such as Addison's are the leading factors that lead to lower aldosterone, which results in hyperkalemia condition.

On the same token, hyperkalemia can be caused by the interfering of how potassium moves in the human body. Cells may release too much potassium from activities such as hemolysis, which emanates from the breakdown of red blood cells, rhabdomyolysis, which is as a result of muscle tissue breakdown, as well as uncontrolled diabetes that increases the amount of potassium.

Symptoms

Hypokalemia is characterized by fatigue and weakness in the body limbs, spasms, and muscle cramps are as a result of excess lactic acid that is concentrated in the muscle, due to reduced functioning. According to (Porth, 2015) muscle cramps are sudden, due to the reduced amount of potassium, and uncontrolled construction in the muscles. Patients undergoing this condition, are faced with the digestive system, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, as well as tingling and numbness.

On the other hand, hyperkalemia results in a higher amount of increased potassium levels in the blood. The common effects are directly associated with the muscles functioning as well as the change in the heartbeat rhythm. In other words, the body requires a delicate balancing mechanism of potassium to ensure that the muscles and the heart work properly. Slower heart rates are also another major factor that is associated with the condition, as well as weaknesses in the body.

Treatment

Hyperkalemia can be treated or controlled using different techniques to ensure that the patient records normal potassium levels in the bloodstream. This can be achieved by going on a low potassium diet to reduce the amount (Baranchuk et al., 2018). On the other hand, medicines that contribute to a higher amount of potassium can be changed to medicine with lower potassium, which reduces the rate of hyperkalemia. On the other hand, the patent can use drugs as well to lower the condition, by the use of medications such as water pills, which remove the excessive potassium through the urinary tract. Never the less, kayexalate (sodium polystyrene sulfonate) can be used to remove the excess potassium through the digestive tract.

Hypokalemia can be rectified through the use of higher intake of natural fruits, beans, and vegetables, which increases the amount of potassium into the optimum level. Patients undergoing this condition can also seek medical intervention to help improve the amount of potassium in the blood. More so, food rich in potassium should be on higher consumption rate to help retain the amount of potassium into the optimum level.

References

Baranchuk, A., Maheshwari, A., Sreenivasan, S., & Benditt, D. G. (2018). Specific Brugada Phenocopies: Electrolyte and Metabolic Disorders. In Brugada Phenocopy (pp. 87-92). Academic Press.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-811151-2.00010-9Karch, A. M. (2017). Focus on nursing pharmacology (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. ISBN-13: 978-1496318213

Moore, A. R., & Barger, A. M. (2016). Pathology in practice. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 248(2), 157-159. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.248.2.157Nagaratnam, N., Nagaratnam, K., Cheuk, G., Nagaratnam, N., Nagaratnam, K., & Cheuk, G. (2017). Disorders of Sodium. Geriatric Diseases: Evaluation and Management, 1-7.doi:10.1007/978-3-319-32700-6_50-1

Porth, C.M. (2015). Essentials of pathophysiology (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. ISBN-13: 978-1451190809