Interpreting Sodium Blood Test Results

Interpreting Sodium Blood Test Results A sodium Na blood test is a standard medical test that checks sodium concentration in your blood This test is important because having too high or too low a sodium concentration in your blood can cause serious medical problems Various medical issues can affect your sodium blood levels rnrn However this test typically does not provide good information about whether you should reduce the amount of sodium in your diet rnrn This article discusses what sodium blood tests do and do not indicate why you might have abnormal results and how a healthcare provider may address abnormal results rnrnStefania Pelfini La Waziya Photography Getty Imagesrnrn A sodium blood test measures the sodium concentration in your blood Sodium blood test ranges can be normal low or high and are measured in milliequivalents per liter mEqL as shown below rnrn Your body usually does a good job regulating the amount of sodium in your blood When levels are off however body systems such as your brain and heart can be affected rnrn A normal sodium concentration in the blood is between and mEqL and if sodium concentration in your body gets too high or too low your body usually adapts For example your kidneys may react by retaining more sodium releasing more water in your urine and increasing your thirst rnrn If your sodium levels are less than mEqL a healthcare provider may tell you that you have hyponatremia a lowerthannormal sodium concentration in the blood Severe hyponatremia which poses an increased risk of serious complications is defined as mEqL or less rnrn Low sodium concentration in the blood is a common medical issue particularly in older individuals or people who are ill from various medical problems such as kidney heart or liver diseaseCertain medications can also cause hyponatremia including rnrn Hyponatremia can happen when the amount of water you are taking in is greater than the amount you are losing eg through your urine and your body cant sufficiently adapt It can also happen when you are losing a lot of sodium from your body rnrn Hypernatremia is a sodium concentration that istoo high in the blood greater than mEqL It doesnt happen as often as hyponatremia but it is more common in infants older adults oranyone without normal thirst mechanisms or lack of access to water rnrn Hypernatremia can occur when the body loses a lot of water like throughdehydration It might also occur with excess vomiting sweating or urination rnrn Certain drugs can also cause it including rnrn Less commonly it can result from extreme sodium intake like through an intravenous IV line in someone in an intensive care unit Its very uncommon for a person to have hypernatremia just from their dietary intake of sodium unless they also have a medical problem like kidney disease rnrnPeople with hyponatremia or hypernatremia may be dehydrated have normal hydration or are overhydrated A sodium blood test does not determine the amount of water in the bodyHealthcare providers use a medical history exams and other tests to determine this which influences their treatment approachrnrn Sodium levels that are too high or too low can have significant health impacts particularly when theyre extreme or if the change happens suddenly rnrn Having hyponatremia may not cause any symptoms especially at first But if it worsens or isnt corrected it may cause issues like headache lethargy or dizziness When severe it may be more likely to cause serious issues such as rnrn If present symptoms of hypernatremia tend to be mild in adults They might include lack of appetite vomiting muscle weakness and restlessness However more severe symptoms like seizures or coma are a greater risk in infants or people with very high sodium levels rnrn A sodium blood test is a common test You might get it as part of a general checkup or if you are being treated at the emergency room or hospital Other reasons to have a sodium blood test include rnrn A sodium blood test tells you that the sodium concentration in your blood is high but it doesnt explain why For that you may need additional tests rnrn A sodium blood test isnt a good way to check whether you are getting the right amount of sodium in your diet Thats because the body is usually very good at adapting and keeping the sodium concentration in your blood at normal range rnrn Even if your sodium blood test is normal you might still get too much salt through your diet leading to issues like high blood pressure A better way to check your salt intake is to use a food diary and discuss your results with a healthcare provider rnrnMany people need to reduce sodium intake in their diet The following are some ways to decrease dietary sodium potentiallyrnrn If your sodium blood t