What Does
Electrolyte Mean?
Electrolytes are minerals that have an electric charge when dissolved in water or other fluids. They are essential for many key functions in the human body and in other biological organisms.
Electrolytes are essential for complete hydration. They help maintain fluid balance, conduct nerve impulses, regulate pH levels, facilitate muscle contraction, and regulate chemical reactions.
Common electrolytes include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate.
Safeopedia Explains Electrolyte
Dehydration is a prevalent hazard for workers who do physically intensive work, wear heavy or bulky safety gear, or work in high-temperature environments. Dehydration takes place when the body loses more fluid (through sweating, for instance) than it takes in.
When the body rids itself of fluids, it flushes electrolytes out along with them. These electrolytes must also be replenished to keep the body functioning optimally and avoid becoming dehydrated.
Employers are legally required to provide workers with an adequate supply of drinking water. It is advisable to also give workers access to electrolyte beverages (such as sports drinks) or powdered electrolyte mixes if their job places them at higher risk of dehydration.
Electrolytes and Their Functions
Every cell in the body contains electrolytes, which help maintain the balance between fluids outside and inside the cell, as well as regulate the chemical reactions within the body. Electrolytes can conduct electricity, which assists with muscle contraction. The positive and negative ions found in electrolytes also allow chemical compounds to travel in and out of cells.
These electrolytes are supplied from the food we eat and the fluids we drink. Excess electrolytes are flushed out of the body through urine and sweat.
The kidneys play an important role in maintaining electrolyte balance by redirecting needed electrolytes back into the blood and expelling the rest through urine. When kidney function is compromised, however, its ability to properly sort electrolytes can be affected, resulting in an excessive amount of electrolytes being redirected into the bloodstream.
Electrolyte Imbalance
Electrolyte imbalance occurs when the concentration of electrolytes in the body is either too high or too low. In either case, the consequences can be harmful. The symptoms will depend on the specific electrolyte that is out of balance, whether there is too much or too little of it in the system, and the severity of the imbalance.
The most common type of electrolyte imbalance is caused by fluctuations in sodium and potassium levels.
Imbalances can result from excessive sweating due to strenuous physical activity, illnesses that cause vomiting and diarrhea (both of which result in excess fluid loss), or kidney or liver problems that cause these organs to poorly regulate electrolyte levels.
The symptoms of electrolyte imbalance are varied:
- Symptoms of low sodium (hyponatremia)
- Headache
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Symptoms of excess sodium (hypernatremia)
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Troubled sleep
- Restlessness
- Symptoms of low potassium (hypokalemia)
- Symptoms of excess sodium (hyperkalemia)
- Irregular heartbeat
- Muscle cramps or weakness
- Symptoms of low magnesium (hypomagnesemia)
If severe enough, electrolyte imbalances can cause seizures, convulsions, or be fatal.
Treatment for Electrolyte Imbalance
When an electrolyte imbalance is the result of fluid loss, the remedy is often quite simple: sipping water at regular intervals to rehydrate. Electrolyte powders and other commercially available electrolyte supplements can also help restore the body to its normal balance.
In more extreme cases of fluid loss, fluids and electrolytes may need to be administered intravenously.
Diuretics can help when electrolyte levels are too high. These medications increase urine output and help flush out fluid and sodium.
More serious cases might require dialysis treatment to filter excess electrolytes out of the bloodstream.