Water and electrolytes are needed for the body to work properly. These substances help maintain the balance of the blood and other fluids present in tissues and cells. If your fluid or electrolyte levels fall too low, you will need to replenish...
Low levels of sodium in the blood, medically termed hyponatremia, can cause serious medical problems. The most common electrolyte imbalance seen in the United States, according to PubMedHealth, hyponatremia can be worsened by large amounts of...
Sodium and potassium are electrolytes, or electrically charged minerals, found in blood, according to LabTestsOnline.org. Electrolytes can change when the level of water in the body changes. Sodium and potassium levels may be tested individually...
Acute renal failure is the sudden inability of the kidneys to remove waste products from the body and concentrate urine without losing electrolytes and causing dysfunction in the organ systems. This can happen because of an autoimmune disease,...
Because the human body depends upon glucose synthesis for cellular energy, corn allergies probably produce the symptoms of a perceived glucose allergy. According to the National Institutes of Health, most commercial sugars---forms of glucose---are...
Many people have increased thirst from time to time, commonly due to eating salty foods, exercise or working in the heat. However, an unusual increase in thirst, especially if you experience a rapid heartbeat, can signal the presence of an...
While dehydration's risks are understood by most parents, overhydration, also called water intoxication, is a less familiar condition. It can cause serious illness and even death, especially in infants. Infants don't need extra water until you...
More diabetics are able to successfully carry pregnancies to term today, due to improved treatment of blood sugar before and during pregnancy. Yet some complications are still common in diabetic deliveries. Diabetic mothers need close attention...
Medium-chain triglycerides are unique fatty acids, derived from coconut oil and possessing a molecular structure different from those of fatty acids that we normally consume in food--such as animal fats or vegetable oil. Compared to ordinary fats...
Choline bitartrate is a salt supplement for natural choline, an essential nutrient for your body. Your body synthesizes choline in small amounts, but the Linus Pauling Institute suggests that you must consume choline in your diet to maintain...
Burns require specific emergency care and continuous treatment. Preference is given to fluid hydration, swelling and its complications, establishing and maintaining an airway, nutritional supplements, a catheter for monitoring urine output, X-rays...
Whenever your arthritis causes you pain, reach for a pain-relieving medication. Some people, such as those with osteoarthritis and gout, may have only intermittent pain and might not need to take a pain reliever every day. Others, particularly...
Xylitol is one of the latest sugar substitutes that looks and tastes like sugar but has fewer calories. Although it doesn't contain many additional nutritional benefits over sugar, it does have potential health benefits that sugar lacks and is...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that16 percent of those surveyed had a migraine or other type of headache in the three preceding months. Headaches are considered to be migraine headaches if pain occurs on more days than not....
Cipro is a brand-name prescription antibiotic produced by the drug company, Bayer Pharmaceutical. The active ingredient in Cipro is ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone-type antibiotic used to treat various bacterial infections, including pneumonia...
Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. It can result from an allergy, when your body sends out an immune response to a substance that is harmless to most people. If you are allergic to corn, which an uncommon allergy,...
Glucose tolerance factor chromium, more commonly called chromium GTF, is a mineral that is frequently used in bodybuilding, athletic and weight-loss supplements. However, the jury is still out on how effective this supplement is when used for...
Leucine is one of three essential amino acids that increase muscle mass and help muscles recover after exercise. It also regulates blood sugar and supplies the body with energy. These functions make it invaluable when the body is stressed. Leucine...
Electrolytes are salts in a water environment and which conduct electricity. They are found in all body tissues and carried throughout the body in the blood. The kidneys are responsible for regulating the levels of electrolytes in the blood by...
The gastrointestinal system begins with the mouth, esophagus and stomach. The stomach connects to the small intestine which transitions to become the colon, part of the large intestine. Finally, the large intestine terminates as the rectum. Food...
Nutrient demand during stress is greatly increased. Your immune system is effected when this need goes unmet. Immunonutrients are nutrients that influence immune function. They are used selectively in critically ill patients and high-risk...
Dextrose is a caloric sweetener that is a combination of sugar and water. It is a processed syrup used to sweeten foods and drinks, and dextrose, along with other sugars, is on the Food and Drug Administration's list of safe foods to be used in...
Phytonadione is also known as vitamin K. RxList.com reports that it is used to prevent bleeding in patients with blood clotting disorders or a lack of vitamin K in the body. Phytonadione works by providing the blood with the vitamin K it needs to...
Alcohol travels through the body via the bloodstream. That means it goes to all the body's vital organs, including the brain. The brain has a high concentration of water, and the alcohol dilutes itself in water once it is in the body. As a result,...
Hypocalcemia is a serious medical problem caused by low blood levels of calcium. There are different treatment approaches to hypocalcemia, depending on the blood levels of calcium and the severity of the patient's symptoms. Hypocalcemia should be...
Dextrose is a simple sugar that can be found occuring naturally in many foods. In addition, dextrose is also used as an additive sweetener in popular beverages and processed foods. Dextrose can also be found as an ingredient in many commercial and...
Asthma is a common disease of the upper airways that affects children and adults on a large scale. People with asthma have inflammation of the airways responsible for getting air from the mouth and nose to the lungs. This can result in either...
Calcium is an important mineral in the growth and development of bone. It is also important to maintain the function of nerves, muscles, and the heart. The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs that help regulate the body's fluid and...
Ischemic colitis is a disorder that affects the large intestine (colon), according to the Mayo Clinic. The colon becomes inflamed as blood flow is decreased. The result is colon inflammation and sometimes permanent colon damage. The signs and...
