What Are the Dangers of Electrolyte Imbalance?

Electrolytes help to keep the body hydrated. Without enough electrolytes, the cells cannot absorb water from the vascular system. At that point other potentially serious medical conditions may occur.

Arrhythmia of the Heart

• Certain levels of electrolytes can interfere with the electrical impulses from the heart, causing arrhythmia, which could be deadly in extremely severe cases.

Swelling of the Brain

• Extremely high or low levels of sodium can cause swelling of the brain, which can lead to the rising of inter-cranial pressure, restricting blood-flow, resulting in the killing of brain cells, brain damage, or even death.

Shock

• One of the main causes of shock is the loss of fluid in your body. Going into hypovolemic shock can be severely dangerous depending on the intensity. Shock can lead to feelings of fatigue and tiredness, kidney failure, chest pain, the loss of consciousness, or death.

Hyponytremia

• Hyponytremia describes a condition that in some respects is similar to dehydration. With hyponytremia, the body does not have enough electrolytes to absorb all of the water in the system. Fatigue, headaches, confusion, loss of consciousness, coma, or seizures can result from hyponytremia. Water Intoxication Death can be a result of severe hyponytremia.

Hypocalcemia

• Hypocalcemia describes a condition of having low levels of calcium. Low calcium levels can result from multiple factors including infection of the blood, low levels of parathyroid hormone, deficiency of vitamin D. Hypocalcemia can lead to feelings of weakness and numbness in a persons hands and feet. In severe cases, it can lead to confusion or seizures.