How does hyponatremia occur?
When salt leaves the body through sweat and lots of plain water gets taken in, the bloodstream becomes diluted and sodium and potassium levels drop. But sodium is essential for optimal cell function. It helps with the electrical signals that occur in our bodies, and it helps regulate cellular osmotic pressure through osmosis. (Remember that school experiment with the bag-like thing and the salty water?) When hyponatremia occurs, cells throughout the body take on more water than normal and expand. Rings and watches will get tight, you’ll look all puffy and, the bad bit, your brain swells. Since your brain is in a rather inflexible skull, it gets a bit squished and that’s where the disorientation—and in worse case scenarios, fatalities—come from.
