Sodium Blood Test: Purpose, Normal Range, and Results Interpretation

Your body requires a constant level of sodium to maintain blood pressure, nerve conduction, and muscle contractions. Sodium or serum sodium test checks your level of sodium to diagnose an electrolyte imbalance. What is sodium blood test? and why is sodium blood test done can avoid deadly complications like seizures or cardiac complications. In this article, we’ll explore the normal sodium levels in blood, identify causes of high sodium levels and causes of causes of low sodium levels, and explain sodium blood test results in detail. You’ll also learn about sodium blood test preparation, sodium level test cost, and more.

What is Sodium Blood Test?

What is a sodium blood test? This is an immediate lab test that will tell you about the amount of sodium in your bloodstream. Sodium is a key mineral that enables your cells to function normally and enables your body to regulate fluids. Serum sodium testing is typically ordered by physicians during a routine check-up or if you experience dehydration, kidney failure, or illness symptoms.

Sodium Blood Test is performed by taking a small amount of blood from you to determine whether you are facing an excess or deficiency of sodium. You can perform this test to diagnose serious conditions such as heart failure, kidney disease, or hormonal disorder.

Why Would I Need the Sodium Blood Test?

Your physician can order you to get tested for quite a variety of different reasons. The most frequent sodium blood test purpose is to screen for dehydration or an inherent problem with your endocrine, heart, or kidneys. Patients on diuretic drugs need to keep a record of sodium blood tests since the medication induces a loss of sodium balance.

Other than that, sodium blood test uses are, the test helps in the diagnosis of hyponatremia, where reduced blood sodium (hyponatremia) can cause confusion, weakness in muscles, and seizure, or hypernatremia, an emergency condition which shows increased blood sodium (hypernatremia). The balanced sodium also avoids these quite fatal complications such as stroke or coma.

How to Prepare for a Sodium Blood Test?

The correct results come from a proper sodium blood test preparation. Most of the time, there are no special preparations needed, but fasting might be suggested by your doctor if other tests are also to be conducted. Wear loose-fitting clothes with short sleeves to easily allow the phlebotomist to draw blood samples.

Inform your doctor of taking any medicines, especially diuretics or corticosteroids, as these can affect sodium levels. Avoid consuming too much water and taking a small amount of salt some hours prior to the test because sudden changes affect the test results. It is usually a quick test in most instances and there is minimal preparation needed, simply do what your physician tells you.

Read More: Urine C/E (Complete Examination) Test – Purpose, Procedure & Results

Sodium Blood Test Procedure

Sodium blood test procedure is simple and quick. Your doctor will first disinfect a spot on your arm and put an elastic band around the bend of your arm's elbow to cause the veins to become more noticeable. Your doctor will then take a very thin needle and take a few milliliters of blood from the vein into a test tube. It only takes five minutes. When they remove the needle, your puncture site is compressed with a cotton ball to prevent any bleeding. Your blood is taken to the lab for analysis. Your sodium blood test result is available in one or two days for your physician to interpret.

What Happens After the Sodium Blood Test?

Following the procedure, all patients can return to regular activity immediately. You may have pain or bruising at the puncture site but no worse complications that won't occur. Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water to ensure fluid balance.

Immediately call your doctor if you have pain, swelling, and other symptoms of sodium imbalance that aren't normal and get worse. Your doctor will call you once you have finished your sodium blood test and call to arrange an appointment to let you know what the follow-up will be that you will need to do, particularly if you are showing signs of electrolyte imbalance.

Interpreting Sodium Blood Test Results

You interpret sodium blood test results as normal normal blood sodium between 135 and 145 mEq/L. If your level goes below the range, you can accumulate hypernatremia, typically from dehydration, kidney disease, or excessive intake of salt. You should be aware of the reason sodium increases so long-term consequences are not suffered. If you own a sodium level that is below high sodium in blood (hypernatremia), you can accumulate to hyponatremia, which is associated with over-retaining water, kidney disease, or medications such as diuretics.

Once the low sodium in blood (hyponatremia) is under control, your illness will be alleviated and avoid life-threatening situations such as brain swelling. Your doctor will explain the results and read the report. Abnormal results may be followed by tests such as urine tests to identify the cause.

Conditions Diagnosed by Sodium Blood Test

These results are utilized in the diagnosis of conditions via a sodium blood test. Abnormal test result on a sodium test is due to heart failure, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, and endocrine diseases like Addison's or Cushing's syndrome. Severe infection, burn, or gastrointestinal loss (vomiting, diarrhea) also result in toxic electrolyte imbalance. Early identification of sodium abnormality enables such conditions to be treated and complications avoided.

For instance, the sodium level of the patient with congestive heart failure needs to be monitored now and then so that medication planning and restriction of fluid intake can be organized in a manner in which the amount of sodium will remain constant.

Sodium Blood Test vs Urine Test

Sodium blood test and sodium urine test both measure the level of sodium but for two reasons. The sodium level blood test will only tell us the amount of sodium you have in your body at the moment. A urine sodium test would tell your doctor how much sodium you are passing out through your system, and doctors can use that to know the function of your kidneys and how well you absorb salt.

Your doctor can schedule appointments for both of these tests simultaneously so that he will have complete information regarding your sodium balance and the adrenal or kidney issue for the abnormal sodium level.

Sodium Blood Test Price in Pakistan

Sodium level test cost can be different in different labs in Pakistan as well. The price of a sodium blood test is usually PKR 500 to PKR 1,500 in most of the diagnostic centers depending on the city and center where the test is done. Package test packages are available in some hospitals. Call your doctor or laboratory for the latest rate and see if your medical insurance policy is going to cover it. In this manner, you can get any out-of-pocket expenses and also have good on-time reports at an affordable price.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the sign of sodium imbalance?

Some of the usual signs of sodium imbalance include muscle cramps, weakness, nausea, confusion, or convulsions. In case you experience any of them, call your physician right away to have your sodium level checked.

How often should I have my sodium blood test?

Your doctor will monitor you from time to time if you have kidney disease or cardiovascular disease, are on diuretics, or experience signs of an electrolyte balance imbalance. Otherwise, it usually is included in annual routine checks.

What might impact the outcome of my sodium level?

Your sodium test may be affected by infection, diet, dehydration, or medication. Tell your doctor about any recent medication, supplements, or illness prior to your test so that your sodium test interpretation may be done accurately.