Sodium is a chemical element essential for human life. Sodium is found in many different kinds of food, including common salt. You need sodium to help maintain fluid balance within your body, for proper function of nerves and muscle and to maintain a proper electrolyte concentration. Proper sodium levels are critical to a healthy body.
Normal Levels
Sodium blood tests measure sodium levels within the body. Most healthy adults have a sodium level between 135 and 145 mEq/L, according to MedlinePlus. Levels within this range ensure that the body has enough sodium to facilitate physiologic processes. Different laboratories may have slight variations on normal sodium levels, so talk to your doctor for an interpretation of your test results.
Recommended Sodium Intake
According to a 2010 study from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, healthy adults should consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. This is equivalent to 1 tsp. of ordinary table salt. Hypertensive patients, African-Americans, diabetics, patients with kidney disease and older adults should only ingest 1,500 mg of sodium per day. The lower recommendations for these groups helps prevent the onset of heart disease and other complications associated with abnormal sodium levels. Talk to a health care professional about the best way to limit your dietary sodium intake.
Low Sodium Levels
Low sodium levels, a condition called hyponatremia, can occur due to many reasons ranging from a pre-existing disease to excessive fluid intake. Low sodium levels can lead to abnormal swelling of your cells, which can cause serious health problems, MayoClinic.com warns. Symptoms of hyponatremia include headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, fatigue, muscle weakness, seizures and coma. Treating low sodium levels requires eliminating the direct cause by controlling your diet, using medications and taking intravenous fluids.
High Sodium Levels
Hypernatremia, or high sodium levels, is a possibly fatal condition that occurs when your sodium levels rise above 145 mEq/L, Merck Manuals reports. High sodium levels usually indicate insufficient fluid and water levels within the body. If you develop hypernatremia, you may suffer from extreme thirst, confusion, seizures and coma. Controlled water replacement is typically the best way to treat hypernatremia. An underlying medical condition causing the high sodium levels may necessitate further testing and treatment.
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