Electrolytes are electrically charged molecules that are integral to many of the body's processes. Electrolytes are particularly important to the heart, both in the transmission of the signal that maintains heart rate, as well as in the...
The heart is a muscular organ that is extraordinarily sensitive to disturbances in electrolyte balance. This is because electrolytes are required to maintain the electrical activity of the heart. Electrolytes are normally obtained from the diet...
People with cardiovascular risks or inadequate diets may face health problems when their electrolyte levels fall. If you have heart arrhythmias, high blood pressure or suspect a dietary deficiency in calcium, magnesium or potassium, use your diet...
Your body needs to get a certain amount of minerals to work properly. Some of these minerals, known as electrolytes, play an important role in regulating electrical activity in muscle tissue, such as the heart. Low levels of electrolytes can be...
Electrolytes are required to keep all cells alive. Normally, the kidneys regulate blood electrolyte levels by making fine adjustments according to the body's needs. Under some conditions an electrolyte imbalance can occur, as when potassium is...
One of the fundamental functions of the heart is to generate a steady rhythm. This enables blood to be pumped efficiently throughout the body. Heart rhythm is generated by a variety of processes that come together and ensure that heart muscles...
Exercise places great demands on the body to provide fuel and oxygen for maximum performance. While the body attempts to control its internal temperature, you may find that you are losing electrolytes like salt in your perspiration. Electrolytes...
Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate and magnesium. Your body uses electrolytes for several purposes. Its cells, especially nerve cells and muscle cells such as those in your heart, maintain...
Electrolyte loss can lead to an imbalance in the blood's normal chemical makeup. Since a normal electrolyte balance is crucial to the body's function, imbalance can result in a variety of physiological dysfunctions, such as neurological impairment...
Electrolytes are electrically charged atoms or groups of atoms, found within minerals that need to be . immersed within a solution in order to function properly. Electrolytes are further categorized into anions and cations. Because your body is...
Potassium exists as a charged mineral, called an electrolyte, in the body. It is important for electrical conduction in cells, including nerve, muscle, heart and other types of cells. Changes in the level of potassium can effect electrical...
Celexa, or citalopram hydrobromide, is a medication that belongs to the selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor class that is generally prescribed for the treatment of depression. Emerging research on newer drugs in this class, according to...
Cardiac arrhythmias include any interruption in the normal rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. Arrhythmias occur as a result of variations in the mechanical function, electrical conduction or electrolyte imbalances in the heart. Electrolytes, which...
Gatorade is a sports beverage designed to help athletes and other physically active people stay hydrated during exercise. Containing water, carbohydrates and the electrolytes sodium, potassium and chloride, Gatorade supplies energy along with...
The heart requires many different nutrients to function properly, including electrolytes. Electrolytes help prevent abnormal heartbeats, including bradycardia, although the condition may occur for a variety of reasons. If you have an abnormal...
Chronic high blood pressure or hypertension is a major health threat in the United States. It can result in heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. The causes of hypertension are not completely understood yet, but they appear to be related to a...
The balance of potassium is important in muscle and nerve activity. With heart failure, patients tend to retain fluid and will require medications to help excrete excess fluid. But when too much fluid is lost, potassium is also lost. Monitoring...
You've probably seen sports drinks and enhanced waters advertise they contain electrolytes, and you might wonder whether these can make you gain weight. "Electrolyte" is just a fancy word for a salt, and salts don't contain any calories, which...
Cleanse RX is a type of colon cleansing kit that has a two-phase system you are instructed to follow. The manufacturer claims that by using the product, you'll remove undigested waste from your system and improve the digestive system. Additional...
Your heart beats around the clock without any conscious effort on your part. Its perpetual rhythm is maintained by electrical impulses that are greatly dependent on minerals that you ingest in your diet, known as electrolytes. Potassium and...
Blood pressure is commonly monitored since it is a good diagnostic of how well the heart and circulatory system are working. Many factors, both physical and psychological, affect blood pressure and how the heart functions. One factor, the amount...
When you see a "K" on the periodic table, you probably know that it is the symbol for potassium. But if you mistook it for krypton, which is "Kr," you're not far off -- the mineral may indeed make you feel like Superman. Potassium is an important...
Sodium, potassium and other nutrients are required to maintain the body's normal health. These elements, along with several others, are absolute requirements for human life. They are so basic to the function of every cell that any imbalance...
Complete, or third degree, heart block is a condition whereby no electrical signals from the top part of the heart, the atria, reach the bottom chambers of the heart, the ventricles. Thus, the ventricles must generate their own electrical...
Electrocardiograms, known as EKGs, can give your doctor a quick clue about life and death situations involving your cardiac health. The EKG is a diagnostic tool that represents the electrical activity that controls your heart. According to Medline...
A slow heart rate, a condition known as bradycardia, occurs when the heart beats fewer than 60 beats per minute for most non-trained athletes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Bradycardia can be a serious condition because a slow heart rate can...
Like all muscles, the heart needs electrical input in order for the contractions to occur. Potassium is among a group of nutrients that conduct the current for this electrical input. These nutrients, which also include sodium, calcium, magnesium...
An electrolyte is a mineral in your body that carries electrical impulses. Electrolytes are essential for normal muscle function because they transmit electrical impulses from nerves. The heart consists of specialized muscles called myocytes that...
Heart failure presents a cluster of symptoms related to the heart's inability to adequately pump blood into the system to meet the body's metabolic demands. Five million Americans, or 2 percent of the population, have heart failure. Heart...