How Salt and Potassium Work and Where They Are Found.
Sodium and Potassium
So let’s work through sodium: why we need it, its normal
values, the results of too much or too little, and how to correct it
Why we need it:
it helps nerve and muscle functions. It also helps to keep the right
balance of fluids in your body. Your kidneys control how much sodium is
in your body. If you have too much and your kidneys can't get rid it,
sodium builds up in your blood. This can lead to hypertension (high
blood pressure). High blood pressure can lead to other health problems.
The normal sodium BLOOD level values are 135 – 147 mmol/l…
These are the desirable lab test result. In order to
maintain this type of result, sodium intake is recommended from 1100 to
3300 mgms. That seems a wide range of allowable intake. Personally I
think it reflects the diverse opinions related to this subject. And that
leaves the general public not well served.
Too much sodium: (hypernatremia):
sources: drugs: examples: Anabolic steroids,
Cough medications NSAIDs Birth control pills
Corticosteroids Laxatives some antibiotics, Methyldopa (I hear about
these all the time!) and foods!!! There are many that are high in
salt but may also come in ways that makes them concentrated. For
instance, tomatoes are great, but in concentrated forms such as pastes
on pizzas, they give you TOO much salt…same with cheeses. Usually a
little is fine. So again, use caution. Use your common sense.
Too little sodium: (hyponatremia):
sources: drugs: diuretics, Triamterene, tricyclic
antidepressants,
This site lists drugs that can raise
or lower sodium levels
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003481.htm
How to correct it. In
relation to the drug part, please do not jump to any quick conclusions.
Discuss these with your doctor or pharmacist. Look at the monographs
that come with the drug each time you get one. You have been born with a
lot of common sense: use it. Regarding foods, if you like cheese and it
is a good source of calcium, use a little. Don’t just assume it’s all
bad. Same with tomatoes.
Check out Online Lab
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/sodium/test.html
Harvard Heart Letter states:
“…But there really isn't a one-size-fits-all
recommendation for daily sodium intake. If you are under age 50, your
blood pressure is in a healthy range, and your health is good, you
probably have little reason to worry about salt intake. A lower-sodium
diet is good for people who are older, who are of African American
descent, or who have
high blood pressure or
diabetes. These folks should limit their sodium intake to no more
than 2,300–2,400 mg a day. People with heart failure or
kidney disease are advised to keep their sodium intake under 2,000
mg a day.”
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/daily-sodium-intake.htm
Potassium
So let’s work through potassium: why we need it, its
normal values, how too much happens, how too little happens and how to
correct it
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec12/ch155/ch155k.html
Why we need it:
Potassium is needed for cells, especially nerve and muscle cells, to
function properly. The kidneys remove excess potassium in the urine to
keep a proper balance of the mineral in the body. Here is where we
really see the imbalance in action.
Normal values: 3.5 - 5 mmol/L
Too much: Hyperkalemia
is when you have too much potassium in your body and it can happen in a
few ways. Hyperkalemia often doesn’t show up with its own symptoms, but
it can show up as slow weak pulse or nausea. The point is that you want
to get it out of your body as too much causes difficulties.
A very common cause is kidney malfunction, thereby
leaving too much potassium in the body instead of excreting it. Drugs
can cause too much potassium as well. Trauma such as surgery and burns
contribute to the cellular release of potassium. These are foods high in
potassium, such as licorice, herbal teas containing licorice, chewing
tobacco, or sweating, excessive vomiting. Can you see how the imbalance
can occur?
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001179.htm
Too little: Hypokalemia (a
metabolic disorder)
Possible causes:
Certain drugs, called diuretics, can
cause excess urination.
Diarrhea (including the use of too many
laxatives, which can cause diarrhea)
Diseases that affect the kidney's ability
to retain potassium (for example, Liddle syndrome and eating disorders
such as bulimia.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000479.htm
Some hypokalemia (low) symptoms include:
abnormal heart rhythms, constipation, fatigue, muscle weakness or
spasms. Certain antibiotics such as carbenicillin, gentamicin,
and amphotericin B. Gentamicin is a very frequently used drug in
the treatment of Meniere’s disease.
Small dips in your potassium readings
should not give you a lot of difficulty, but major drops are very
serious.
How to correct it hypokalemia:
you can get potassium by drugs, but it’s much more preferable to “eat”
it. (It has been my experience that some people who take it as a pill
form, end up eliminating it whole. It has not been “used/absorbed” by
the body.) There are many foods high in potassium such as raisins, dried
apricots, oranges, Brussels sprouts, peaches, tomatoes, and many more.
Pay close attention to when you
are very dehydrated or vomiting. Often if you end up in the hospital,
you get intravenous potassium to replenish your supply.
The rebalancing act for someone with Meniere’s symptoms
(balance and hearing issues). (Please remember
that this is to be a simple explanation.)
If you visit a doctor with hearing and or balance
symptoms, the chances are that your treatment will be based on a
perception of too much fluid in the area. So the idea is to reduce the
excess. Most likely you are prescribed a diuretic. This is a drug that
removes fluid either by making you go to the bathroom more frequently or
by slowing down the kidney functions. Unfortunately, along with the
fluid comes the salt. If you recall, potassium is mostly in the cell:
sodium is mostly in the fluid. Can you see the chance of imbalancing
these two electrolytes?
A point of interest to note: if your blood pressure is
too low, some doctors PRESCRIBE an increased salt diet, so as to retain
fluid and hopefully increase the pressure.
Can you see what a slippery slope you are on in trying to
balance and rebalance the body? This is the classic example of robbing
Peter to pay Paul! This is why I spend so much of my time and energy
helping people understand that Meniere’s is not a disease, but that
something is causing the symptoms to do with balance and hearing. We
have learned an awful lot about possible underlying causes and we share
those constantly. These are situations and ideas that others have told
us to have caused their symptoms. As you can see very clearly, nothing
happens in nature without a cause, and that cause, results in effects.
Send us an email if you would like a copy of our “Observations”.
This is an excellent book to buy. It is easy to read and
to understand!
The Importance of Potassium and Sodium
Dr. Richard Moore, MD Ph.d.
www.amazon.com/High-Blood-Pressure-Solution-Scientifically/dp/0892819758/ref
