Question 1

what does hypernatremia mean?

Accepted Answer

Too much salt: Hypernatremia means you have too much sodium or salt build up in your body.

Question 2

what are some symptoms of hypernatremia?

Accepted Answer

Thirst and Others: Early symptoms of hypernatremia include thirst, dehydration, lethargy, irritability, disorientation, confusion, and weakness. However, severe symptoms include tremor, rigidity, seizures, coma, and death. The neurological symptoms are associated with rapid changes in the serum sodium.  Slower changes are better tolerated.

Question 3

i have been diagnosed with hypernatremia. how do you treat this?

Accepted Answer

Increase water intal (cromolyn): Hypernatremia means your body has less water. So, either you are not drinking enough water or losing lot of water from your body. You need to undergo blood and urine test to find the cause. The first step is to drink enough free water and then treat the cause.

Question 4

how do you prevent hypernatremia?

Accepted Answer

Water: Hypernatremia means you have too much sodium in your body.  It can lead to many serious complications such as mental status changes and death.  The best way to avoid this problem is drink water daily. When you body lets you know that you are thirsty, reach for water and not a soda.

Question 5

how does hyperventilation cause hypernatremia?

Accepted Answer

It doesnt: Plasma sodium levels are influenced by fluid volume not respiratory rate.

Question 6

can fludrocortisone 0.1mg cause hypernatremia?

Accepted Answer

: Fludrocortisone makes you retain sodium and water and excrete potassium. Hypernatremia shoud not happen because you retain both water and sodium; mild edema with high blood pressure can be the adverse effects of this medication.
Hypernatremia happens when you are dehydrated.
Remember, not the sodium but the water imbalance is the cause of hypernatremia or hyponatremia.

Question 7

why do elderly people often get hypernatremia?

Accepted Answer

Water depletion: Great question, one that many in the med field don't quite understand.  Hypernatremia (high blood sodium level) is a water dehydration state. Hyponatremia is a water excess ('intoxicated' state--it takes a mental disorder to drink so much water that it lowers serum sodium).  When elderly don't drink enough water, are on a diuretic, gets a fever or uti, they easily get water depleted, hypernatremic.

Question 8

can a person have both hypernatremia and hyperkalemia?

Accepted Answer

Possibly yes: Dehydration is the most common cause for both. Also certain medication may play this role. Your physician would have to look the whole picture on why this person developed both.

Question 9

when treating hypernatremia why is normal saline preferred over  normal saline?

Accepted Answer

Volume: Before correcting na the volume loss needs to be addressed, but a strong practical case can be made to use 1/2 or 1/4 ns to correct both.

Question 10

hypernatremia --what is the treatment?

Accepted Answer

Water: High sodium is usually the result of water loss. This happens when a person loses their sense of thirst or is unable to obtain water when thirsty. 

Alternatively high na may be from infusion or ingestion of excess salt. The treatment may require water and diuretics, dialysis could be useful in some cases. This is the rarer of the two causes.If conscious these patients are very thirsty.

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Hypernatremia signs

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What does hypernatremia mean?

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What are some symptoms of hypernatremia?

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I have been diagnosed with hypernatremia. how do you treat this?

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How do you prevent hypernatremia?

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How does hyperventilation cause hypernatremia?

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Can fludrocortisone 0.1mg cause hypernatremia?

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Why do elderly people often get hypernatremia?

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Can a person have both hypernatremia and hyperkalemia?

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When treating hypernatremia why is normal saline preferred over normal saline?

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Hypernatremia --what is the treatment?

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