This question came up after the doctor told my mom that her sodium level was low. We looked at each other and asked, “What does that even mean?”
Neither of us had ever heard of a person not having enough salt in their body as a medical problem.
With the blood pressure and heart issues in our family, it’s not uncommon to hear a loved one say that they need to watch their salt intake. None of us had ever said we needed more salt in our diets.
Okay, high sodium vs. low sodium. I immediately became curious about this phenomenon and wanted to know if one was worse than the other.
My prior knowledge included an awareness that eating foods prepared with too much salt is bad for you and can cause adverse effects in people with cardiac conditions.
Oddly, I never questioned exactly what sodium does for the body.
In short, your blood pressure, blood volume, muscles, and nerves all need sodium to work properly.
Sodium provides the electrolytes needed to ensure that your body has the proper amount of fluid flowing through the bloodstream, so an issue would occur if the salt levels were up or down.
Now, let’s look at the body having too much or too little salt.
Your Salt Level Is Too High
While researching, I realized I had minimal knowledge of a high salt level.
First, I learned that the medical term for having too much sodium in your body is hypernatremia. This condition could be mild and symptom-free. It could also be severe and lead to a coma.
High salt levels may result from not drinking enough fluids, losing too much water, or taking certain medications. You could also have another health condition that makes your body force fluid out, leaving too much sodium in.
Your doctor would be the best at determining how to approach the situation after evaluating your medical condition, symptoms, and lab work. Your medical provider would also be the one to offer you treatment options.
Your Salt Level Is Too Low
As previously stated, I didn’t know that a person with low sodium had a problem.
However, I discovered that there is a medical term for low salt in the human body, hyponatremia. This condition could be simple to reverse or severe.
Causes of low sodium levels may include drinking too much liquid, taking certain medications, or retaining water. You could also have another health condition that causes your body to keep too much fluid inside while seriously decreasing the amount of salt.
This condition was found in my mom when she was excessively filled with fluid caused by a preexisting health problem. The extra water had significantly depleted her body of its needed sodium.
As with high sodium levels, your doctor would be the best at determining how to approach the situation after evaluating your medical condition, symptoms, and lab work. Your medical provider would also be the one to offer you treatment options.
Since the doctors were already treating my mom with medication to help her get rid of the excess fluid, they didn’t recommend any additional treatment after the low sodium was discovered.
Final Thoughts
So, high sodium vs. low sodium, which one is worse? The answer is that when unaddressed, they can both create an equally bad scenario.
As noted, too little salt in your body can do just as much damage as too much.
If you noticed, I didn’t list the symptoms. The reason is they are similar to so many other conditions. And, I really wanted to give just a snapshot of how high and low sodium levels impact your health.
For a description of the symptoms of hypernatremia and hyponatremia, check out the links provided.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re experiencing new or unfamiliar symptoms, you may want to consult with your doctor. Remember, early detection is highly recommended for treating any medical condition.
