Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals found in blood, sweat, and urine. These minerals help regulate the nervous system, hydration, muscle function, and blood pH.
You need different electrolytes to keep your brain and muscles functioning. Bodily functions electrolytes help regulate include:
- Nervous system signals: Sodium, an electrolyte, helps send nervous impulses, or electrical signals that your brain sends through nerve cells to give your cells operating instructions. Magnesium, another electrolyte, also helps your brain function.
- Muscle Contractions: Calcium, an electrolyte, helps muscles contract, while magnesium helps muscles relax.
- Hydration: Electrolytes like sodium help balance the water inside and outside your cells through osmosis—when water moves through the cell membrane to control the dilution of water and electrolytes. This helps prevent cells from bursting or dehydrating.
- pH levels: Electrolytes help the body regulate its internal pH (how acidic or alkaline something is). Different parts of the body, like the blood, must maintain a certain pH to eliminate disease and function properly.
The body can’t make the majority of electrolytes on its own, so you must consume them. Fruits and vegetables are the primary sources of electrolytes. You can also get essential electrolytes like sodium and chloride from table salt.
Food sources of electrolytes include:
- Sodium: Salt, cheese, pickled foods
- Chloride: Salt
- Potassium: Beet greens, lima beans, sweet potato, bananas, avocado
- Magnesium: Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, boiled spinach, peanuts
- Calcium: Dairy products, fortified grains, green leafy vegetables
Typically, eating food with electrolytes is enough to support the average person. Electrolyte sports drinks and salt-enhanced drinks can also help supplement electrolytes. These drinks can help you rehydrate quickly if you’ve lost excessive electrolytes through intense exercise, vomiting, or diarrhea.
You can have your electrolyte levels tested with a blood or urine test. A basic metabolic blood panel measures serum levels (part of your blood without cells) of sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium.
A comprehensive metabolic blood panel can test for additional electrolytes. An electrolyte urine test can measure the levels of electrolytes like calcium, chloride, potassium, and sodium.
Normal ranges of electrolytes include:
- Serum sodium: 135-145 millimole/Liter
- Serum potassium: 3.6-5.5 millimole/Liter
- Serum calcium: 8.8-10.7 milligram/deciliter
- Serum magnesium: 1.46-2.68 milligram/deciliter
- Bicarbonate: 23-30 millimole/Liter
- Phosphorus: 3.4-4.5 milligram/deciliter
Levels under or above these amounts are considered abnormal, but ranges may vary.
An electrolyte imbalance occurs when you have too much or too little electrolytes in your blood. This imbalance can make it difficult for your brain and muscles to function.
In rare cases, a severe electrolyte imbalance can be life-threatening.
Hyponatremia, low sodium levels, is the most common type of electrolyte imbalance. Other types of electrolyte imbalances include:
- High sodium levels (hypernatremia)
- High or low potassium levels(hyperkalemia or hypokalemia)
- High or low calcium levels (hypercalcemia or hypocalcemia)
- High or low magnesium levels (hypermagnesemia or hypomagnesemia)
What Causes an Imbalance?
Dehydration caused by excess sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea is the leading cause of electrolyte imbalance, because it depletes your body of electrolytes, often before you can replace them.
Injuries and medical conditions can also cause electrolyte imbalances, including:
- Kidney disease
- Eating disorders
- Substance use
- Cancer
- Sepsis
- Liver disease
- Lung conditions
- Gastrointestinal tract conditions
- Diabetes
- Severe burns
- Recent surgery
Critically ill people and older adults are more likely to experience electrolyte imbalances. Diets low in sources of electrolytes also increase someone’s risk of developing an electrolyte imbalance.
What Does It Feel Like?
Electrolyte imbalance symptoms will vary depending on which electrolytes are imbalanced and the level of the imbalance.
Electrolyte imbalances can cause cardiac, muscular, and neurological symptoms, such as:
In severe cases of electrolyte imbalances, you may experience problems like:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Seizures
- Death
What Are Your Treatment Options?
Mild electrolyte imbalances can be treated by eating electrolyte foods or supplementing with electrolyte drinks. For example, eating salty snacks and drinking water can help you replenish depleted sodium levels and rehydrate.
Moderate to severe electrolyte imbalances will require additional treatments specific to what’s causing the imbalance. Treatments may include:
- Altering hydration levels: You may be given intravenous (IV) fluids if you’re dehydrated. If you are over-hydrated, you may need to take diuretics to get rid of extra fluid when you pee.
- Supplementing electrolytes: Oral or IV electrolyte supplements can help restore levels. Some people may be prescribed a specific diet to boost their intake of certain electrolytes.
- Treating underlying medical conditions: If a medical condition is causing an electrolyte imbalance, your healthcare provider will treat the condition. This may also involve switching your medications if they affect your electrolyte balance.
People with a severe electrolyte imbalance will be monitored and receive additional testing to ensure their electrolyte levels return to normal.
You can take preventative measures to avoid an electrolyte imbalance. The best ways to prevent an electrolyte imbalance include:
- Eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet
- Staying hydrated
- Drinking fluids with extra electrolytes if vomiting or experiencing diarrhea
- Drinking fluids with extra electrolytes in extreme heat or prolonged endurance activities
- Not drinking too many fluids, or electrolyte drinks, when you’re already hydrated
