Electrolyte imbalance

An electrolyte imbalance is an abnormal concentration of dissolved ions, such as sodium or potassium, in body fluids. It can disrupt nerve signaling, muscle function, and fluid balance.

Osmosis: The net movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane toward higher solute concentration. Changes in extracellular sodium concentration shift water between body compartments by osmosis.
Sodium: A positively charged ion that is the principal cation in extracellular fluid. Blood sodium concentration strongly influences extracellular osmolality and water distribution.
Hyponatremia: A serum sodium concentration below the normal range. It is a common sodium disorder that can cause headache, confusion, seizures, or coma.
Dehydration: A deficit of body water that occurs when losses exceed intake. Water loss can concentrate sodium and alter several electrolyte concentrations.
Membrane potential: The voltage difference across a cell membrane, produced by unequal ion distributions and selective permeability. Potassium and other ion disturbances can change the voltage that enables cellular signaling.
Potassium: A positively charged ion that is the principal cation inside cells. Small changes in blood potassium can substantially affect cardiac and skeletal muscle excitability.
Hypernatremia: A serum sodium concentration above the normal range. It commonly reflects water deficit relative to sodium and can cause neurologic dysfunction.
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion: Excess antidiuretic hormone activity that causes water retention and often lowers serum sodium. It is a classic cause of dilutional hyponatremia despite relatively preserved body sodium.
Action potential: A rapid, temporary reversal of membrane voltage that propagates along excitable cells. Electrolyte shifts can impair the electrical impulses of nerves and muscles.
Calcium: A mineral whose ionized form supports bone structure, muscle contraction, secretion, and cell signaling. Abnormal calcium levels can cause neuromuscular symptoms distinct from sodium or potassium disorders.

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