Water-salt balance in the body: description, violation, recovery and recommendations

In order for our body to function properly, a complex set of internal processes is involved. Maintaining normal water-salt metabolism refers to one of them. When he is in order, a person does not have health problems, but his violation leads to complex and noticeable deviations. So what is the water-salt balance? Violation, its symptoms will also be considered.

general information

The water-salt balance is the processes of water and salt entering into the body interacting with each other, their assimilation and distribution in internal organs and tissues, as well as the ways of their excretion.

Everyone knows that a person more than half consists of water, the amount of which in the body can be different. It depends on many factors, for example, the weight of fat and age. The newborn is 77% water, in adult men this figure is 61%, and for women 54%. Such a small amount of fluid in the female body is due to the presence of numerous fat cells. To old age, such an indicator becomes even lower.

How is water distributed in the human body?

The distribution of the liquid is as follows:

• 2/3 of the total is in the intracellular fluid;
• 1/3 of the total number is represented by extracellular fluid.

In the human body, water is in a free state, it is retained by colloids, or it participates in the formation and decomposition of molecules of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

Compared with the intercellular fluid and blood plasma, tissue fluid in cells is characterized by a higher concentration of magnesium, potassium and phosphate ions and a low content of chlorine, sodium, calcium ions and bicarbonate ions. This difference is explained by the fact that the capillary wall for proteins has a low permeability. Normal water-salt balance in a healthy person helps to support not only the permanent composition, but also the volume of the liquid.

Regulation of the water balance in the kidney and urinary system

Kidneys are necessary to maintain constant processes. They are responsible for ion exchange, remove from the body excess amount of cations and anions by reabsorption and excretion of sodium, potassium and water. The role of the kidneys is extremely important, because thanks to them, the necessary volume of intercellular fluid and the optimum amount of substances dissolved in it remain.

A person should consume 2.5 liters of fluid per day. About 2 liters comes through drinking and food, and the rest of the volume is formed in the body due to metabolic processes. The kidneys produce 1.5 l, the intestine - 100 ml, the skin and the lungs - 900 ml. Thus, not one organ regulates the water and salt balance, but their totality.

The volume of fluid output by the kidneys depends on the needs and conditions of the body. The maximum amount of urine, which is able to withdraw this organ for a day, is 15 liters of fluid, and with an antidiure it is equal to 250 ml.

Such different indicators depend on the nature and intensity of tubular reabsorption.

Why is the balance of water and salt in the body disturbed?

Violation of the water-salt balance occurs in the following cases:

• The accumulation of liquid in the body in large quantities and slowing its elimination. There is accumulation in the intercellular space, its volume inside the cells increases, as a result of which the swelling of the latter occurs. If the nerve cells are involved in the process, nerve centers are stimulated that promote the occurrence of seizures.
• Also, absolutely opposite processes can occur in the body. Because of excessive removal of fluid from the body begins to thicken the blood, increases the risk of blood clots, blood flow in the organs and tissues is disturbed. If the water deficit is more than 20%, a person dies.

Violation of the water-salt balance of the body leads to loss of weight, dry skin and cornea. In case of severe moisture deficiency, the subcutaneous fat begins to resemble the dough in consistency, the eyes fall, and the volume of circulating blood decreases. In addition, facial features become acute, cyanosis of the nails and lips, hypofunction of the kidneys, blood pressure decrease, the heart rate decreases and decreases, and the concentration of nitrogenous bases increases due to disruption of the protein metabolism. A man begins to freeze his hands and feet.

In addition, the imbalance may arise due to an equal loss of water and salts. Usually this happens in acute poisoning, when fluid and electrolytes are lost during vomiting and diarrhea.

Why there is a lack and excess of water in the body?

Most often, this pathological process is due to the external loss of fluid and its redistribution in the body.

Reduction of the level of calcium in the blood occurs:

• At diseases of a thyroid gland;
• When using preparations of radioactive iodine;
• With pseudohypoparathyroidism.

Sodium is reduced as a result of long-lasting diseases, in which urine is very poorly excreted; after operation; Because of self-medication and uncontrolled intake of diuretics.

To lower the potassium lead:

• Its movement inside cells;
• alkalosis;
• Therapy with corticosteroids;
• Pathology of the liver;
• Insulin injections;
• Aldosteronism;
• alcoholism;
• Operation on the small intestine;
• Hypothyroidism of the thyroid gland.

Symptoms of imbalance in water and salt in the body

If the water-salt balance in the body is disturbed, then symptoms such as vomiting, severe thirst, swelling, diarrhea occur. The acid-base balance begins to change, blood pressure decreases, and arrhythmia appears. In no case should such symptoms be ignored, since a progressive pathology can lead to cardiac arrest and death.

Calcium deficiency is dangerous because of the appearance of convulsions of smooth muscles, especially if there is a spasm of the larynx. If this element in the body, on the contrary, very much, there is a strong thirst, a pain in the stomach, vomiting, poor blood circulation, frequent urination.

When potassium deficiency occurs alkalosis, chronic renal failure, atony, intestinal obstruction, fibrillation of the ventricles of the heart, brain pathology. When it rises, vomiting, nausea, ascending paralysis occurs. This condition is dangerous in that very soon there is a fibrillation of the cardiac ventricles, which leads to the arrest of the atria.

The excessive amount of magnesium appears due to kidney dysfunction and the abuse of antacids. In this case, there is nausea, reaching the vomiting, the body temperature rises, the heart rate slows down.

How to restore the water-salt balance in the body?

It is rather difficult to independently determine the presence of such pathology, and in case of appearance of suspicious symptoms it is necessary to consult a doctor. He can propose the following methods of treatment in order to restore the water-salt balance:

• Medicamentous;
• outpatient;
• chemical;
• diet.

Drug treatment

This method consists in the fact that the patient must take mineral or vitamin-mineral complexes containing calcium, sodium, silicium, magnesium, potassium, ie, such elements as are responsible for the water-salt balance in the body.

These drugs include:

• "Duovit";
• Vitrum;
• «Biotech Vitabolic».

The course of treatment is a month, then take a break in a few weeks.

The chemical way of treatment

In this case, you must take a special solution. In any pharmacy you can buy special packages containing various salts. Similar agents used to be used for poisoning, cholera, dysentery, accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting, resulting in rapid dehydration of the body, and such a saline solution helps to delay water in the body.

Before using such a tool, it is necessary to consult a doctor, because it is contraindicated when:

• Diabetes mellitus;
• Renal failure;
• Infections of the genitourinary system;
• Liver diseases.

How to restore the water-salt balance in a similar way? To do this, it is necessary to spend a week on the course of such a means. Take a salt solution should be an hour after eating, and the next method is no earlier than 1.5 hours. During treatment it is necessary to refuse the use of salt.

Outpatient treatment

It is very rare, but it happens that the patient has to be hospitalized because of a violation of the water-salt balance. In this case, the patient takes saline solutions and special mineral preparations under the supervision of a doctor. In addition, a strict drinking regimen is recommended, and food is prepared for the needs of the patient. In extreme cases, appoint a dropper with an isotonic solution.

Diet

To normalize the water-salt balance, it is not necessary to take medications for this. In this case, the patient is prescribed a special diet with the calculation of the amount of salt. It should be limited to 7 g per day.

In addition, there are certain recommendations on how to prepare the right food:

• Instead of table salt it is better to use sea salt, as it contains more useful minerals;
• If there is no possibility to use sea salt, you can add iodized cooking to dishes;
• Do not salt "by eye", and use a spoon for this (5 g of salt is placed in the tea room, and 7 g in the dining room).

In addition, it is necessary to consume water, depending on body weight. On 1 kg of weight 30 g of water are necessary.

Conclusion

Thus, the water-salt balance can be independently restored to normal, but before that it is still necessary to consult a doctor and hand over all the necessary tests. Do not prescribe yourself a variety of mineral and vitamin complexes or saline packages, it is better to adhere to a special diet and useful recommendations.