Fluid and Electrolyte Disorder Management
Fluid and Electrolyte Disorder Management
Electrolytes in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids help regulate your heart rhythm, support your muscle and nerve function, and balance your body fluids. Your kidneys and other organs are responsible for continually moving electrolytes to adjust your fluid levels. But certain health conditions can affect your kidneys’ ability to move and balance these fluids and electrolytes.
This results in a fluid and electrolyte imbalance, which may be a sign of kidney disease or other underlying problems.
Hypokalemia
The Condition:
Sometimes, chronic kidney disease (CKD) may cause hypokalemia, a condition in which your blood has low potassium levels (less than 3 mmol/L or millimoles per liter). It can affect your bone health and digestive system, and stop your nerves, heart, and muscles from working well.
Our Treatment Process:
Since hypokalemia can cause abnormal heart rhythms, our healthcare providers may recommend doing an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or a urinalysis (urine test). Additionally, you can work with our specialized diet counselors to ensure you eat more potassium-rich foods.
Hypocalcemia
The Condition:
Hypocalcemia is a condition with low calcium in blood (8.8mg/dL). It is often caused due to chronic kidney failure. This condition can stop your nerves, muscles, and heart from working properly, prevent blood clotting when you are bleeding, and weaken your bones.
Our Treatment Process:
Our healthcare professionals may suggest going for an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure your heart rhythm, and bone imaging tests to check if your bones have calcium issues. To restore your calcium to normal levels, we may prescribe oral calcium supplements.
Hypomagnesemia
The Condition:
Hypomagnesemia is a condition involving excessive loss of magnesium through your kidneys. Uncontrolled diabetes, Gitelman syndrome, or other inherited kidney tubular disorders can be some of the causes of decreased magnesium levels. It often happens alongside hypokalemia (low potassium levels) and hypocalcemia (low calcium in blood). If you notice any signs of hypomagnesemia, such as tremors, fatigue, abnormal eye movements, or delirium, seek medical care immediately.
Our Treatment Process:
After performing a physical exam, our nephrologists may recommend a urine magnesium test, a comprehensive metabolic panel, or an ECG for hypomagnesemia diagnosis. If the condition is mild, we may suggest oral magnesium tablets. If you have severe hypomagnesemia, you may have to receive magnesium and fluids through an IV.
Hyponatremia
The Condition:
Hyponatremia develops when you have abnormally low sodium levels in your blood. Call our doctors or seek emergency care if you notice severe signs of hyponatremia, including confusion, headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, and seizures.
Our Treatment Process:
If necessary, our nephrologists may suggest urine tests, alongside blood tests, to confirm a hyponatremia diagnosis. In some cases of hyponatremia treatment, you may need to cut back temporarily on the amount of water you drink or diuretics you take. In other cases, you may require medications.
Bicarbonate Loss
The Condition:
Too much loss of sodium bicarbonate (a base) results in an acid buildup in your body fluids, a condition called ‘hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis’. It can occur with renal tubular wasting or severe diarrhea, leading to increased plasma chloride concentration in your body. You may experience symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches.
Our Treatment Process:
If your medical history and physical exam findings are not enough to identify the metabolic acidosis causes, our healthcare team may recommend a series of tests. After the diagnosis, our acidosis treatment procedure may involve vitamin D and potassium or sodium supplements, depending on your condition.
Disclaimer: Lab tests are not done in our clinic, but you can consult our nephrologists for your lab reports.
Let us help you maintain a healthy level of electrolytes and fluids at Nephrology Consultants, P.A. We are present in various locations in Delaware.