Excessive intake of salt poses a great danger to health, and therefore it is advised to avoid eating large quantities of it to avoid the symptoms of excess salt in the body and the subsequent damage, so what are the symptoms of excess salts in the body?
First: Feeling thirsty is a symptom of an excess of salt in the body
Feeling thirsty is one of the most important symptoms of an excess of salt in the body. When sodium levels become high, the body makes a great effort to ration the sodium concentration, and the body reduces the mineral concentration by increasing the amount of fluid.
Thus, the feeling of thirst and the intensity of the craving for water is a natural response to increasing salt levels in the body, as water helps to expel excess sodium from the body, and in the event that the body's desire for water is not met, it will stick to the water already in it.
The kidneys help in the process of increasing water stores by excreting less urine, and at the same time, receptors that sense a sodium imbalance send signals to the brain to stimulate the feeling of thirst.
Second: fluid retention
When excessive salt leads to an increase in sodium levels, the body begins to retain water, and when the excess fluid accumulates in the tissues, it causes another symptom of the signs of increased salt in the body, which is edema or swelling resulting from water and fluid retention in the body, which may appear in different parts From the body, but it most often occurs in the face, hands, legs, ankles, and feet.
Reducing salt intake should reduce edema and other symptoms of excess salts in the body, and elevating the affected body part, walking, and moving the body help reduce swelling, but if the edema is severe or does not go away, consult a doctor because it may be a sign of a more serious health condition.
Third: high blood pressure
The symptoms of high salts in the body are not limited to thirst and fluid retention, but can lead to high blood pressure, as high levels of sodium cause an increase in the amount of water in the body, including blood volume, as the excess blood rushes against the walls of blood vessels, and the result is Hypertension.
What makes high blood pressure one of the most dangerous symptoms of an excess of salts in the body is that it rarely causes any signs or symptoms, and high blood pressure may last for a long time without the person feeling this high, but sometimes it may cause a feeling of headache.
Fourth, heart disease
Excess sodium raises blood pressure because it keeps excess fluid in the body, and this constitutes an additional burden on the heart, and thus excessive sodium intake increases the risk of developing a range of diseases, most notably:
• brain attack.
• Heart failure.
• Osteoporosis.
• stomach cancer.
• Kidney disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, untreated high blood pressure damages blood vessels as well as the heart and kidneys, and signs will not appear until the damage affects health, and the type of symptoms depends on the part of the body that has been weakened. The first sign may come in the form of a stroke or heart attack. Which is one of the most dangerous symptoms of high salts in the body.
Treatment of excess salts in the body
The treatment of excess salts in the body depends on the symptoms of excess salts in the body, and the treatment includes the following:
Take diuretics
Drink a lot of water
Taking some medications
Leave a Reply