hyponatremia

noun

hy·po·na·tre·mia ˌhī-pō-nā-ˈtrē-mē-ə

variants or chiefly British hyponatraemia

medical

: the condition of having an abnormally low level of sodium in the blood that is typically marked by nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, fatigue, and muscle cramps and that when severe may be life-threatening if untreated

… aspirin and other pain relievers like ibuprofen … seem to increase the risk for hyponatremia.—

Harvard Health Letter

Hyponatremia, or having low sodium, can cause seizures, coma and even death if untreated.—

Lisa Sanders

Research showed that hydrating too much over the long haul—during a marathon, say, or a long-distance bike ride—dilutes the blood's salt content and can lead to hyponatremia.—

Jeffrey Kluger

hyponatremic

ˌhī-pō-nā-ˈtrē-ik

adjective

or chiefly British hyponatraemic

hyponatremic encephalopathy

hyponatremic athletes

Examples of hyponatremia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyponatremia, and death can occur when exposed to high temperatures. —

Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2023 Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea or vomiting, headache, confusion, and fatigue, among other things. —

Korin Miller, Health, 3 Aug. 2023 According to Adkins, the average person doesn’t have to worry about hyponatremia. —

Korin Miller, Health, 3 Aug. 2023 Low sodium, also called hyponatremia, can lead to brain swelling, seizures, coma or even death if it is not corrected promptly. —

Joe and Teresa Graedon, oregonlive, 31 July 2023 Too much water is associated with a condition called hyponatremia, which happens when the concentration of salt in the body is too low. —

Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 12 July 2023 This may cause hyponatremia, or low levels of sodium in blood. —

USA TODAY, 20 June 2023 Some symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea and vomiting, low blood pressure, headaches, confusion or disorientation, fatigue and muscle cramps. —

USA TODAY, 20 June 2023 The second reason to boost salt intake while exercising is to avoid hyponatremia (literally, low blood sodium)—a dangerous and occasionally fatal condition. —

Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 4 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hyponatremia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.