Hyponatremia

What a week it has been! It started out with a bang in the early hours of Monday morning when my mother came down with a condition called Hyponatremia or "Water Intoxication". Simply put, she drank too much water in preparation for a medical treatment that was to take place later on Monday. Too much water dilutes the body of sodium. Low levels of sodium can result in disorientation and confusion and if left untreated, it can be fatal.

Luckily, we were in a good position to get my mother to the hospital and she has been receiving the necessary treatment to bring her sodium levels back to normal. While she has regained her responsiveness to my family and has been interacting with us, she still shows signs of mental slowness and confusion. It is my hope that this will not be a residual effect that will linger even after she is released from the hospital. We are into Day 4 of her hospital stay and I guess only time will tell if her mental stamina is strengthened in the next few days.

I guess the main thing to remember is that too much of anything can be a bad thing. We have heard this saying many times but how many times have we heard it in regards to drinking water. The common communication is to "drink at least 8 glasses of water a day" or "if you are dieting, drinks lots of water".

This week has been a real eye opener..............