Too much sodium can increase the size and the thickness of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. This makes it harder for the heart to efficiently circulate blood around the body.
High sodium consumption can raise blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Most of the sodium we consume is in the form of salt.
If too much salt in your diet makes you dehydrated, your stomach will feel it. You might feel nauseated, or you might have diarrhea. If your stomach is upset or you have cramps, take a look at what you've been eating during the past few days and figure out how to cut back on the salt.
Well, consumption of excess salt causes edema, which is a condition of swelled arms, legs or ankles.
In moderation, salt is a necessary nutrient that helps your body maintain the right fluid levels. Get too much, however, and you increase the chance of your ankles and feet swelling. You can reduce your salt intake to just 1,500mg to 2,300 mg a day to see if this might be causing edema in your case.
Researchers have long believed that the way the level of salt inside our bodies is controlled is fairly straightforward: when levels are too high, our brains are stimulated to make us thirsty. We drink more and excrete more urine, through which the body expels excess salt.
Drink Plenty of Water
This is because water helps the body flush out excess sodium. Not only is hydration important for managing sodium levels, but it is also important for overall health. When you drink plenty of water, your body can flush the excess sodium in your body.
In severe cases, low sodium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Eventually, lack of salt can lead to shock, coma and death. Severe salt loss is very unlikely to happen because our diets contain more than enough salt.
Over time, excessive salt intake can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension), which stiffens and narrows the blood vessels. Blood and oxygen flow to key organs decreases. So the heart tries harder to pump blood throughout the body, which further increases blood pressure.
A high salt diet will alter this sodium balance, causing the kidneys to have reduced function and remove less water resulting in higher blood pressure. This puts strain on the kidneys and can lead to kidney disease.
The hallmark of salt sensitivity is a blood pressure bump upon salt intake. Salt-sensitive people will also tend to see increased fluid retention because they aren't efficiently excreting sodium. Consuming too much sodium can also lead to excessive thirst and an increased frequency of urination.
The best way to flush salt out of your body overnight is by drinking a glass of water with certain ingredients added. These include lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, green tea and baking soda. All of these have diuretic properties which will help reduce how much salt remains in the body after sleeping.
So which is worse? Americans consume about 1 ½ times the amount of sodium they need and seven times the limit of added sugar. So sugar may be the biggest concern because it's the biggest problem. Sugar is also linked to a host of other health concerns beyond high blood pressure and the heart.
And if your body cries out for salty snacks over sweet ones, research shows that salt cravings are often due to a calcium deficiency. When you eat something salty the sodium temporarily increases calcium in the blood, which tricks your body into thinking the calcium deficiency is over.
The link between salt and sleep
“Eating a meal that's high in sodium at dinnertime can contribute to sleep disturbances, in part due to an increase in blood pressure and fluid retention,” Dr. Darling says. “The result may be restless sleep, frequent awakenings and not feeling rested in the morning.
The rate of sodium correction should be 6 to 12 mEq per L in the first 24 hours and 18 mEq per L or less in 48 hours. An increase of 4 to 6 mEq per L is usually sufficient to reduce symptoms of acute hyponatremia.
Incorporate foods with potassium like sweet potatoes, potatoes, greens, tomatoes and lower-sodium tomato sauce, white beans, kidney beans, nonfat yogurt, oranges, bananas and cantaloupe. Potassium helps counter the effects of sodium and may help lower your blood pressure.
Loop Diuretics - are also known as "water pills" as they work to decrease blood sodium levels, by making you urinate out extra fluid. When you lose fluid through the kidneys, you will lose potassium and sodium as well. A common example of this type of medication is Furosemide (e.g.Lasix).
The earliest and most common symptom is thirst. Other symptoms include fatigue, dry mouth, and restlessness. As the condition worsens a patient may have an increased heart rate, muscle spasms, or seizures. In severe cases coma, brain damage, or death may occur.
High sodium intake is associated with increased inflammatory response in adult patients.