Electrolytes are substances whose particles have a natural positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water.
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An adult's body is approximately 60% water, which means that almost all fluids and cells in the body contain electrolytes.
Electrolytes are involved in almost all vital processes in the body and maintain a balance between intracellular and extracellular fluids.
Electrolytes enter the body through the food and fluids that a person consumes. Excess electrolytes are filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. They are also excreted in sweat.
What is the function of electrolytes?
Electrolytes are used by cells to perform a number of functions:
- Generation and conduction of an electrical impulse that causes muscle contraction
- Maintaining water balance in intracellular and extracellular spaces
The functioning of electrolytes is based on their ability to become positively or negatively charged when dissolved in water, making the liquid electrically conductive. An example of this is saline solution, which conducts electrical impulses. Salt is composed of positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chlorine ions, which neutralize each other in the non-liquid state.
When dissolved in a liquid, the sodium and chlorine atoms dissociate to form sodium and chlorine ions. The electrical impulse will travel through the sodium and chlorine ions—not the water molecules—because they are charged with opposite signs.
Important electrolytes
Several important electrolytes play a crucial role in maintaining the body's electrolyte balance.
Sodium (Na +)
Sodium plays an important role in maintaining the fluid balance of cells in the body. Sodium ions are involved in the co-transport of glucose.
Hypernatremia It means an excess of sodium in the body.
HypernatremiaSymptoms:
- Confusion, behavioral disorders
- Hyperreflexia
- Involuntary muscle movements
- Convulsions, coma
Reasons:
- Excessive sodium intake (some medications)
- Dehydration (lack of sufficient water intake)
- Kidney dysfunction
EmergencyEvents:
- Restoring water balance
- Restricted sodium intake
- Medications
Potassium (K⁺)
It is one of the main electrolytes responsible for the following cell functions:
- MusclesCompression
- NervousSignalsTransmission
- LiquidდაPressureBalance – Potassium, along with sodium, controls the distribution of fluid in cells and blood.
Hyperkalemia ((excess potassium)
- Symptoms: Heart rhythm disturbances, muscle weakness, sometimes fibrillations and seizures
- Reasons: Impaired kidney function, potassium-containing medications, dehydration
Hypokalemia (Potassium deficit)
- Symptoms: Muscle weakness, fatigue, heart rhythm disturbances, seizures
- Reasons: A diet low in potassium, prolonged fluid loss (vomiting), certain medications (diuretics)
Magnesium (Mg+)
Magnesium helps cells convert nutrients from food into energy.
- MusclesდაNervesfunction – Necessary for muscle contraction and transmission of nerve signals.
- EnergyProduction – Participates in the synthesis of ATP (the main source of energy).
- EnzymesActivity – Hundreds of enzymes responsible for metabolism, DNA/RNA synthesis, and other processes are activated.
- HomeostasisMaintenance – Regulation of sodium and potassium balance in cells.
Hypomagnesemia (Magnesiumdeficit)
- Symptoms: Muscle spasms, cramps, fatigue, heart rhythm disturbances, changes in cholesterol and sugar levels.
- Reasons: Poor nutrition, dehydration, diarrhea, some medications (e.g. diuretics, proton pump inhibitors).
Hypermagnesemia (Magnesium excess)
- Symptoms: Muscle weakness, low blood pressure, slow breathing, heart rhythm disturbances
- Reasons: Kidney failure, long-term use of magnesium-containing medications (such as lactulose or antacids).
Calcium (Ca+)
Calcium is one of the most important trace elements, which is essential for the structural integrity of bones and teeth. It is also involved in muscle contraction, neuromuscular signal transmission, and heart rhythm maintenance. Excess or deficiency of calcium causes a wide range of symptoms:
Symptoms of hypercalcemia
- Brain: Brain, weakness, apathy, altered consciousness
- Digestive system: Constipation, abdominal pain, vomiting
- kidneys: Frequent urination, kidney and urinary tract stones, kidney failure
- Heart: Arrhythmia
- Propulsion system: Pain in bones and joints
Symptoms of hypocalcemia
- Brain: Disorders of consciousness and behavior
- Muscles: muscle coordination disorder, hyperreflexia, smooth muscle spasm (larynx and esophagus)
Chlorine (Cl-)
Chloride ions are the second most important ion in maintaining intracellular and extracellular equilibrium. They also participate in maintaining acid-base balance.
Hyperchloremia (excess of chloride ions)
This is usually associated with acidosis – that is, a deviation of the acid-base balance towards the positive. Symptoms of excess chlorine are: nausea, vomiting, weakness, rapid breathing, and decreased consciousness. Hyperchloremia is often accompanied by a violation of potassium metabolism (excess or deficiency).
- An excess of chloride and potassium ions causes acute kidney failure or dysfunction.
- Excess chlorine and potassium deficiency are caused by diarrhea, fluid loss from the pancreas, and various diseases of the urinary system.
Hypochloremia(Chlorine ion deficiency)
This condition occurs when the acid-base balance shifts towards alkalinity, or alkalosis. A common cause of alkalosis is hyponatremia (sodium deficiency), which can be caused by prolonged vomiting or the use of loop diuretics. The characteristic symptoms of alkalosis are: apathy, decreased consciousness, arrhythmia, and decreased muscle tone.
Phosphate (Ph-)
Phosphates are phosphorus-containing molecules that are involved in the transport of chemical compounds and various molecules across cell membranes. Phosphates are an important component in the structure of DNA.
- Hyperphosphatemia, or excess phosphate, usually accompanies hypocalcemia. Except in extreme cases, hyperphosphatemia does not cause symptoms. As a rule, clinical signs of hypocalcemia are pronounced.
- Hypophosphatemia, or phosphate deficiency – An early sign of this condition is muscle weakness. In severe cases, kidney failure, seizures, respiratory failure, and heart failure may develop.
Bicarbonate HCO3 (-)
The CO2 produced during respiration is not completely eliminated from the body through exhalation. Some of it is converted into bicarbonate HCO3¯, which helps maintain the acid-base balance of the blood.
- Acidosis is a condition in which the concentration of bicarbonate decreases and the balance shifts toward acidity. This causes weakness, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing, and in severe cases, altered consciousness.
- Alkalosis is a shift in the acid-base balance toward alkalinity, caused by high bicarbonate concentrations. Alkalosis is characterized by apathy, arrhythmia, and decreased muscle tone.
What tests diagnose electrolyte imbalance?
To study electrolyte balance, it is necessary to study all important electrolyte indicators.
- Testing of important electrolytes: sodium, potassium, chlorine, and calcium, along with other electrolytes if necessary, such as phosphorus, magnesium, bicarbonate, and others.
If an electrolyte imbalance is detected, a wide range of functional studies should be performed:
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
- Glycemia determination
- Determination of albumin and total serum protein
- Functional samples of the liver
- Functional samples of the kidney
- Serum and blood osmolarity tests
- Determination of electrolytes in urine
Since water-electrolyte balance disorders are also associated with some endocrine pathologies, it is important to examine hormones involved in mineral metabolism, such as:
- Serum aldosterone
- Antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin)
- Cortisol
- Parathyroid hormone
- renin
Pathologies in which water-electrolyte imbalance may develop:
- diabetes
- Kidney diseases
- Ischemic heart disease
- Dehydration
- Liver diseases
- Diseases with diarrhea and/or vomiting
- Treatment with some medications
Laboratory "Synevo" offers electrolyte determination
| Name of the test | Category | Price | CODE | Response time (working day) ** | Location of the analysis **** | Buy | hf:tax:product_cat |
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Resources
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21790-electrolytes
https://www.medicinenet.com/dpr/cancer/multiple-myeloma/cm/car-t-cell-therapy-rrmm-costs-insurance
