ELECTROLYTES: Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Carbon Dioxide

 

What Do Electrolytes Do?

Your body needs specific levels of various chemicals and chemical compounds to work properly.

Four very important ones are sodium, potassium, chloride, and carbon dioxide. These are called

electrolytes - you might commonly hear them referred to as "lytes."

 

How Can Electrolytes be Monitored?

A simple blood test will measure the levels of each of these chemicals in your blood.

 

What Do Sodium and Chloride Do?

The level of sodium and chloride in your body help determine if your kidneys are working

properly. High sodium may cause some people to have high blood pressure. Regular table salt

is sodium chloride, which is why people with high blood pressure are advised to go on low sodium (salt) diets. High levels of sodium may also result in swelling or "edema" of the ankles and feet.

 

What Causes Abnormal Levels?

- Kidney Disease

- Prolonged Vomiting

- Severe Dehydration or Water Loss

- Acid/Base (pH) Imbalance (the disproportion of acid and alkaline in your body)

- Congestive Heart Failure

 

What Does Potassium Do?

Potassium is the key to normal heart and muscle function. If you take certain diuretics, you are

prone to losing potassium, so your doctor will order potassium levels to ensure you have enough.

 

What Causes Abnormal Levels?

- Kidney Disease

- Prolonged Vomiting and Diarrhea

- Heart Attack

- Certain Drugs (such as diuretics)

- Bulemia (unhealthy, intentional, purging of meals to lose weight)

 

What Does Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 2 2 2 ) Do?

Carbon Dioxide is the gas we exhale as we breathe. If you have lung problems, you may have

high levels of CO 2 . High or low levels of carbon dioxide will effect the pH balance of the cells in your body.

 

What Causes Abnormal Levels?

- Excessive Loss of Stomach Acid (due to severe vomiting)

- Severe Emphysema or Lung Damage

- Blood pH problems