Diet Mail Diet Mantra Wellness Magazine | Page 6

FOOD FACTS BY NAMITA JAIN Balance your electrolytes: Diet, Water and exercise will help I am 60 yr old. Two weeks ago, I had fever followed by extreme weakness in my whole body. The weakness went to the extent that I wasn't able to walk and almost fainted one day. I thought the weakness was because of fever but when I went to the doctor, he got some tests done and told me that my sodium level has gone down drastically. He immediately put me on some medications to stabilize it. I want to know to dietary treatment which I could follow so that my sodium levels don't go down drastically in future? Dear Reader, first of all I would like to mention that the condition you are talking about is known as Hyponatremia. It is a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low. It occurs because of an imbalance of water and sodium. Most frequently it occurs when excessive water dilutes the amount of sodium in the body or when not enough total sodium is present in the body. Hyponatremia is more common in older adults. Contributing factors include age-related changes and a greater likelihood of developing a chronic disease that affects your body's sodium balance. medical illnesses, such as congestive heart failure, liver failure, renal failure, or pneumonia, may be associated with hyponatremia. Although the treatment for this condition depends upon the causative factor, a healthy, balanced and moderate sodium diet can help. a preventive and treatment method for the restoration of electrolytes. When you exercise, your metabolism burns food and vitamins more efficiently, which aids in rebuilding electrolytes. www.dietmantra.in