The Role Of Electrolytes In Seizures
Electrolytes play an important, and often overlooked, role in our overall health. And for people with epilepsy… the role can be even more vital! Because what many people don’t know is that electrolytes can actually cause seizures all on their own!
So today I want to dive into the topic of electrolytes and how they relate to seizures and epilepsy! Starting with…
What are electrolytes?
In a nutshell, electrolytes are nutrients within your body that have some sort of an electrical charge when dissolved in water. This charge could be either slightly positive or negative.
And examples of elements that affect electrolyte levels include…
Magnesium
Calcium
Sodium
Chloride
Potassium
Phosphate
Bicarbonate
What role do electrolytes play in the body?
Electrolytes do a few different things within the body! They…
Aid in hydration
Balance blood pressure and acidity levels
Help rebuild tissues that have been damaged
And… they play an important role in regulating nerve and muscle function
As you can guess, that last part is where electrolytes really connect to seizure activity.
What are the symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance?
An electrolyte imbalance can occur when you have too many electrolytes in the body, or when you have too little. But surprisingly, many of the symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance are the same regardless.
Some of the main symptoms are as follows…
A headache
Fatigue
Confusion and/or irritability
A faster (or irregular) heartbeat
Issues with your muscles, ranging from cramps to spasms and weakness
Numbness and tingling in your limbs and extremities
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea, or on the flip side, constipation
And a severe imbalance can result in seizures! Even in people without epilepsy. So as you can guess, although it’s important to maintain your electrolyte levels as someone without epilepsy, it’s even more important if you do have the condition.
How do electrolyte imbalances happen?
Many different things can cause an electrolyte imbalance, but it all ties back to the amount of fluid in the body. So one of the most common causes is simply dehydration. And as we all know, dehydration can be brought on by many things. Like…
Not drinking enough water
Sweating and not replenishing your hydration afterwards
Or vomiting and/or having diarrhea
Other things that can result in electrolyte imbalances are the following…
Eating disorders, or not eating enough for another reason
Some medications
Issues with your liver or kidney
Congestive heart failure
Cancer treatments
How can you fix an electrolyte imbalance?
Depending on a few different things, like the severity and root cause of the imbalance, treatments can vary. But likely, one of these treatment plans will be suggested…
Nothing at all, if the doctor believes that your body will fix the imbalance on its own
Rehydration with special beverages that contain electrolytes
IV fluids or medicines to raise the electrolyte levels
Oral medicines/supplements
Or hemodialysis (if the cause of the imbalance is traced back to the kidneys)
How can you prevent an electrolyte imbalance?
Now, if at all possible, most people would like to avoid the need for medical intervention. And thankfully, for most people it’s easy to keep electrolytes balanced from home.
So here are some tips to do so…
Always stay hydrated! And be mindful of rehydrating before, during, and after physical activity. A good rule of thumb is to get yourself good and hydrated a couple of hours before strenuous exercise if you know it’s coming. Then continue to hydrate along the way.
Take extra precautions if you’re sick! If you have diarrhea or you’re vomiting a lot, you definitely need to stay concentrated on maintaining your hydration. And you may even need to drink or eat something that’s especially high in electrolytes. Like sports drinks, oranges, spinach, or turkey.
Conclusion
Electrolytes play an important role in our health, so it’s vital that we make sure their levels stay balanced. Especially if you’re someone who’s predisposed to have seizures, like people with epilepsy.
Sources
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24019-electrolyte-imbalance
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-electrolyte-imbalance
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/electrolyte-imbalance
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