FLUID AND ELECTROLYE BALANCE AND IMBALANCE an electrolyte imbalance

Electrolytes are minerals that have an electric charge when they
are dissolved in water or body fluids, including blood. The electric
charge can be positive or negative. If have electrolytes in the blood,
urine (pee), tissues, and other body fluids.
Electrolytes are important because they help:
 Balance the amount of water in the body
 Balance the body's acid/base (pH) level
 Move nutrients into the cells
 Move wastes out of the cells
 Support the muscle and nerve function
 Keep the heart rate and rhythm steady
 Keep the blood pressure stable
 Keep the bones and teeth healthy
the different types of electrolytes in the body
The main electrolytes in the body include:
An electrolyte imbalance means that the level of one or more
electrolytes in the body is too low or too high. It can happen when the
amount of water in the body changes. The amount of water that you
take in should equal the amount you lose. If something upsets this
balance, you may have too little water (dehydration) or too much water
(overhydration). Some of the more common reasons why they might
have an imbalance of the water in the body include:
 Certain medicines
 Severe vomiting and/or diarrhea
 Heavy sweating
 Heart, liver or kidney problems
 Not drinking enough fluids, especially when doing intense exercise or
when the weather is very hot
 Drinking too much water

 The names of the different types of electrolyte imbalances

 Bicarbonate, which helps maintain the body's acid and base balance
(pH). It also plays an important role in moving carbon dioxide through are:
the bloodstream.
 Calcium, which helps make and keep bones and teeth strong.
Electrolyte Too low Too high
 Chloride, which also helps control the amount of fluid in the body. In
addition, it helps maintain healthy blood volume and blood pressure. Bicarbonat
 Magnesium, which helps the muscles, nerves, and heart work properly. e Acidosis Alkalosis
It also helps control blood pressure and blood glucose (blood sugar).
 Phosphate, which works together with calcium to build strong bones Calcium Hypocalcemia Hypercalcemia
and teeth.
Chloride Hypochloremia Hyperchloremia
 Potassium, which helps the cells, heart, and muscles work properly.
 Sodium, which helps control the amount of fluid in the body. It also Magnesiu Hypomagnesemia Hypermagnesemi
helps the nerves and muscles work properly.
  Substance use disorder.
Electrolyte Too low Too high

m a Certain medications can also affect electrolyte levels. These include:

Hypophosphatem Hyperphosphatem  Antibiotics.

Phosphate ia ia
 Chemotherapy drugs.
Potassium Hypokalemia Hyperkalemia  Corticosteroids.
Sodium Hyponatremia Hypernatremia  Diuretics and laxatives.

the risk factors for an electrolyte imbalance:
Infants, young children and older adults are more prone to changes in
electrolyte levels, but an imbalance can happen to anyone.
SYMPTOMS :
Symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance vary depending on the severity and
electrolyte type. A slight electrolyte imbalance may not cause noticeable
changes.

Certain conditions can also throw off your body’s electrolyte levels. When problems occur, you may experience:
You may be more likely to develop an electrolyte imbalance if you
 Confusion and irritability.
have:
 Diarrhea or constipation.
 Fatigue.
 Burns.
 Headaches.
 Cancer.
 Irregular or fast heart rate (arrhythmia).
 Cardiovascular disease, heart failure or high blood pressure.
 Muscle cramps, muscle spasms or weakness.
 Dehydration due to not drinking enough liquids or from  Nausea and vomiting.
excessive vomiting, diarrhea, sweating (hyperhidrosis) or fever.  Numbness or tingling in limbs, fingers and toes.
 Overhydration or water intoxication (drinking too much water).
 Eating disorders. Calcium
 Kidney disease.
 Liver disease like cirrhosis.
Calcium is a vital mineral that your body uses to stabilize blood  malabsorption
pressure and control skeletal muscle contraction. It’s also used to build  certain medications, includingTrusted Source chemotherapy
strong bones and teeth. drugs, osteoporosis drugs, and certain diuretic and anti-
convulsant drugs
Hypercalcemia occurs when you have too much calcium in the
blood. This is usually caused by the following:

 kidney disease
Chloride
 hyperparathyroidism

 lung diseases, such as tuberculosis or sarcoidosis Chloride is necessary for maintaining the proper balance of bodily
fluids.
 certain types of cancer, including lung and breast cancers

 excessive use of antacids and calcium or vitamin Hyperchloremia occurs when there’s too much chloride in the body.
D supplements It can happen as a result of the following:

 medications such as lithium, theophylline, or certain water pills

 severe dehydration

Hypocalcemia occurs due to a lack of adequate calcium in the  kidney failure

bloodstream. Causes can include:
 metabolic acidosis

 kidney failure
Hypochloremia develops when there’s too little chloride in the body.
 hypoparathyroidism Causes include:

 vitamin D deficiency
Other causes can include:
 pancreatitis

 prostate cancer  metabolic alkalosis

  diuretics  alcohol use disorder

 chronic respiratory acidosis  malnutrition

 extreme fluid loss such as from vomiting or diarrhea  malabsorption

 diarrhea

 certain medications, including some diuretics and antibiotics

Phosphate
Magnesium
The kidneys, bones, and intestines balance phosphate levels in the
Magnesium is a critical mineral that regulates many important body. Phosphate is necessary for various functions and interacts
functions, such as: closely with calcium.

 muscle contraction Hyperphosphatemia can occur due to the following:

 heart rhythm
 chronic kidney disease
 nerve function
 severe breathing difficulties
Hypermagnesemia means excess amounts of magnesium. It  underactive parathyroid glands
primarily affects people with acute or chronic kidney
 severe muscle injury
disease. Addison’s disease and hypothyroidism are also risk
factorsTrusted Source for hypermagnesemia because these conditions  tumor lysis syndrome, a complication of cancer treatment

increase the absorption of magnesium into the bloodstream.  excessive use of phosphate-containing laxatives

Hypomagnesemia means having too little magnesium in the body. Low levels of phosphate, or hypophosphatemia, can be seen in:
Common causes include:
 acute alcohol abuse
  severe burns Hypokalemia occurs when potassium levels are too low. This
happens as a result of the following:
 refeeding syndrome

 vitamin D deficiency
 eating disorders
 overactive parathyroid glands
 severe vomiting or diarrhea
 certain medications, such as some antacids
 certain medications, including laxatives, diuretics,
and corticosteroids
Potassium

Sodium
Potassium is particularly important for regulating heart function. It
also helps maintain healthy nerves and muscles.
Sodium is necessary for the body to maintain fluid balance and is
critical for appropriate body function. It also helps to regulate nerve
Hyperkalemia may develop due to high levels of potassium. This
function and muscle contraction.
condition can be fatal if left undiagnosed and untreated. It’s typically
triggered by:
Hypernatremia occurs when there’s too much sodium in the blood.
Abnormally high levels of sodium are often caused by severe
 severe dehydration
dehydration, which can be caused by:
 kidney failure

 severe acidosis, including diabetic ketoacidosis  inadequate water consumption

 certain medications, including some blood pressure  excessive loss of bodily fluids as a result of prolonged

medications and diuretics vomiting, diarrhea, or sweating

 adrenal insufficiency, which is when your cortisol levels are

Hyponatremia develops when there’s too little sodium. Common
too low
causes of low sodium levels include:
  vomiting or diarrhea IV medications can help your body restore electrolyte balance quickly.
They can also protect you from negative effects while being treated by
 poor nutrition
another method.
 alcohol use disorder
The medication you receive will depend on the electrolyte imbalance
 overhydration
you have. Medications that may be administered include calcium
 thyroid or adrenal disorders
gluconate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium chloride.
 liver, heart, or kidney failure
Oral medications and supplements
 certain medications, including diuretics and seizure
Oral medications and supplements are often used to correct chronic
medications
mineral abnormalities in your body. This is more common if you’ve
 syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone
been diagnosed with ongoing kidney disease.
(SIADH)
Depending on your electrolyte imbalance, you may receive
Treating electrolyte imbalance
medications or supplements such as:
Treatment varies depending on the type of electrolyte imbalance and
calcium (gluconate, carbonate, citrate, or lactate)
the underlying condition causing it.
magnesium oxide
Certain treatments are generally used to restore the proper balance of
minerals in the body. These include: potassium chloride

Intravenous (IV) fluids
Intravenous (IV) fluids, typically containing sodium chloride, can help
rehydrate the body. This treatment is commonly used in cases of
dehydration resulting from vomiting or diarrhea. Electrolyte
supplements can be added to IV fluids to correct deficiencies.
Certain IV medications
phosphate binders, which include sevelamer hydrochloride (Renagel),
lanthanum (Fosrenol), and calcium-based treatments such as calcium
carbonate
These can help replace depleted electrolytes on a short- or long-term
basis, depending on the underlying cause of your disorder. To correct
the imbalance, your doctor will usually treat the underlying cause.
Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis is a type of dialysis that uses a machine to remove waste

from your blood.

One way to get the blood to flow to this artificial kidney is for your
doctor to surgically create a vascular access, or an entrance point, into
your blood vessels.

This entrance point will allow e a larger amount of blood to flow

through your body during hemodialysis treatment. This means more
blood can be filtered and purified.

Hemodialysis can be used to treat an electrolyte imbalance. Your

doctor may also decide on hemodialysis treatment if the electrolyte
problem has become life threatening.