Electrolyte imbalances happen when you have too much or not enough electrolytes in your body. Electrolytes play a significant role in many body functions, you need to ensure their levels in the body to prevent symptoms and major complications. You could do that by staying hydrated, especially if you had an intense workout, prolonged vomiting, diarrhea, or sweating. If any medications or underlying conditions cause electrolyte imbalance, ask your doctor to make an adjustment to your medication or treat the cause. It helps you prevent future electrolyte imbalances. Remember, not all electrolyte imbalance disorders are preventable, so visit your doctor if you’re experiencing common symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance.

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Electrolyte disorders

Electrolyte imbalance happens when you have too much or not enough electrolytes in your body to function properly. Electrolyte imbalance types are divided into two categories.

A. One is when you have too many electrolytes in your body that cause imbalances. It includes:

1. Hypercalcemia: This occurs when you have too much calcium in the blood. Mostly due to kidney disease, hyperparathyroidism, lung diseases like tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, etc., certain types of cancer like lung and breast cancers, high intake of antacids, calcium, and vitamin D supplements, and medications such as lithium, theophylline, or certain water pills hypercalcemia can be dangerous and requires medical intervention.
2. Hyperchloremia: This condition occurs when you have too much chloride in the body. It can happen due to severe dehydration, kidney failure, and metabolic acidosis.
3. Hypermagnesemia: It happens when you have too muchof magnesium in your body. It mostly affects people with acute and chronic kidney disease. The most common risk factors that cause hypermagnesemia are Addison’s disease and hypothyroidism because these conditions increase the absorption of magnesium into the bloodstream.
4. Hyperphosphatemia: This occurs when your phosphate levels get too high in the body. It happens due to the following:
   • Chronic kidney disease
   • Severe breathing difficulties
   • Underactive parathyroid glands
   • Severe muscle injury
   • Tumor lysis syndrome
   • Excessive use of phosphate-containing laxatives
5. Hyperkalemia: This condition occurs when you have elevated levels of potassium in the body. It can be fatal if undiagnosed and untreated. It is usually caused by severe dehydration, kidney failure, severe acidosis, certain medications like some blood pressure medications and diuretics, and adrenal insufficiency.
6. Hypernatremia: It occurs when there’s too much sodium in your blood. Abnormally elevated levels of sodium are usually caused by severe dehydration which happens due to less water consumption or excessive loss of body fluids due to frequent vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating.
7. Alkalosis: It happens when too much bicarbonate in your blood makes it too alkaline. You may experience symptoms like confusion, apathy, arrhythmias, and muscle twitching.

B. Other electrolyte imbalance disorders are caused when you don’thave enough electrolytes in your body. These include:

1. Hypocalcemia: This happens when you have a lack of adequate calcium in the bloodstream. It happens due to the following:

• Kidney failure
• Hypoparathyroidism
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Pancreatitis
• Prostate cancer
• Malabsorption
• Certain medications, including chemotherapy drugs, osteoporosis drugs, and certain diuretic and anti-convulsant drugs
• Brain changes
• Strong reflexes and loss of muscle control, muscle twitching, and spasms in the throat muscles makingit difficult to speak or breathe.

2. Hypomagnesemia: This happens when you have too little magnesium in the body. Common causes may include alcohol use disorder, malnutrition, malabsorption, diarrhea, certain medications, some diuretics, and antibiotics.
3. Hypophosphatemia: It happens when you don’thave enough phosphate in the blood. Mostly it happens due to acute alcohol abuse, severe burns, refeeding syndrome, vitamin D deficiency, overactive parathyroid glands, and certain medications, such as some antacids. The early symptom of this condition is usually muscle weakness. As it gets worse, more severe symptoms occur like rhabdomyolysis, seizures, reduced heart function, and trouble breathing.
4. Hypokalemia: It occurs when potassium levels are too low. The most common causes of hypokalemia include:

• Eating disorders
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea
• Certain medications include laxatives, diuretics, and corticosteroids.

5. Hyponatremia:It happens when you have too little sodium in your body. It is usually caused due to the following:

• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Poor nutrition
• Alcohol use disorder
• Overhydration
• Thyroid and adrenal disorders
• Liver, heart, and kidney failure
• Certain medications such as diuretics and seizure medications
• SIADH

6. Hypochloremia:It occurs when you have too little chloride in your body. It usually happens due to hyponatremia. Other causes include metabolic alkalosis, diuretics, chronic respiratory acidosis, and extreme fluid loss due to diarrhea or vomiting. You may experience symptoms like apathy, confusion, arrhythmias, muscle twitching, and loss of muscle control.
7. Acidosis: It happens when you have too little bicarbonate which makes your blood too acidic. This causes fatigue, nausea, and vomiting and you may breathe faster and deeper. It also causes confusion.

Need help with electrolyte imbalance symptoms, visit our nephrology clinic in East New York for professional medical attention. Doral Health and Wellness provides an in-center dialysis managed by our highly trained medical team. We can work with you to create a dialysis regimen that will fit your medical needs and schedule.

If you have symptoms of kidney problems, talk to your doctor so you can devise a proper treatment plan for your condition. Never take any symptoms of kidney problems for granted. It is better to have it checked early on, before it progresses. At Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center, our team of urologists and nephrologists will work with you in managing your disease and your quality of life. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://doralhw.org/department/urology/.