Hypernatremia is defined as an increase in the amount of sodium in the blood, above the maximum limit, which is 145 mEq/L.This change occurs when a disease causes excessive water loss, or when a large amount of sodium is consumed, with a loss of balance between the amount of salt and water in the blood.
The treatment of this alteration must be guided by the doctor depending on its cause and the amount of salt in the blood of each person, and usually consists of an increase in water consumption, which can be oral or, in more serious cases, with serum in vein. .
- Most of the time.
- Hypernatremia is caused by the body’s loss of excess water.
- Causing dehydration.
- A situation most common in people who are lying down or hospitalized for a disease.
- In which kidney function is compromised.
- It can also occur in case of:.
Além disto, pessoas que não bebem água ao longo do dia, principalmente idosos ou pessoas dependentes que não conseguem ter acesso a líquidos, têm maior chance de desenvolver esta alteração.
Another major cause of hypernatremia is excessive intake of sodium during the day in predisposed people, such as eating foods high in salt.See which foods are high in sodium and know what to do to reduce salt intake.
Treatment can be done at home, in milder cases, with a higher intake of fluids, especially water.Drinking a large amount of water is usually enough to treat the disease, but in cases of people who can’t drink fluids or with a very serious illness, your doctor will recommend replacing the water with a smaller amount.salt, in the amount and speed required for each case.
This correction is also done with care not to cause a sudden change in the composition of the blood, because of the risk of cerebral edema and, in addition, care must be taken not to lower the sodium level too much, since, if it is too low, it is also harmful.See also the causes and treatment of low sodium, which is hyponatremia.
It is also necessary to treat and correct the causes of blood imbalance, such as treating the cause of an intestinal infection, taking homemade serum in case of diarrhea and vomiting, or using vasopressin, which is a recommended medicine in some cases of diabetes insipid.
Hypernatremia can increase thirst or, as most of the time, has no symptoms; However, when sodium change is very severe or occurs suddenly, excess salt causes a contraction of brain cells and signs and symptoms such as:
Hypernatremia is identified by a blood test, in which the sodium dose, also identified as Na, is greater than 145 mEq/L.Evaluation of sodium concentration in urine, or urinary osmolarity, also helps identify urine composition and identify the cause of hypernatremia.