Danger of low sodium diet and drinking too much water in hot weather

Following the doctor's advice - staying away from salt and drinking a lot of water can be life threatening, especially to elderly people. When the sodium level in your blood becomes too low, extra water enters your cells and causes them to swell. This condition is called Hyponatremia (see article from Mayo Clinic ). Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, lethargy, fatigue, appetite loss, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms, cramps, seizures, and coma. A number of medications, such as diuretics, anti-depressants, and pain-killers can bring on this condition, as well as drinking a lot of water during marathons or times of prolonged physical activity and sweating. It may not make sense - why would drinking lots of water cause the same problem as dehydration - aren't they mutually exclusive? Anything that causes excessive perspiring and/or urination depletes the body of sodium, including alcohol, coffee, tea, coke, especially diet coke. And if you are avoiding salt and sodium in your diet as well, that puts you in serious danger. People with diabetes, liver problems, alcoholics, athletes, people who do a lot of physical labor outside are at a greater risk. The problem with hyponatremia is also that it resembles dehydration, and people simply drink more water, which makes the problem worse. To ensure your safety, if you are sweating a lot for an extended period of time, drink water with salt or/and eat some salty snacks. Elderly people, or those with diabetes or high blood pressure, or people taking medications should ask their doctor for a blood test to check their sodium level, so they can figure out the proper salt/water proportion for their particular body needs.