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Overview of Electrolytes

By

James L. Lewis III

, MD, Brookwood Baptist Health and Saint Vincent’s Ascension Health, Birmingham

Reviewed/Revised Sep 2023
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More than half of a person's body weight is water. Doctors think about water in the body as being restricted to various spaces, called fluid compartments. The three main compartments are

  • Fluid within cells

  • Fluid in the space around cells

  • Blood

To function normally, the body must keep fluid levels from varying too much in these areas.

Electrolytes, particularly sodium Overview of Sodium's Role in the Body Sodium is one of the body's electrolytes, which are minerals that the body needs in relatively large amounts. Electrolytes carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids such as blood... read more , help the body maintain normal fluid levels in the fluid compartments because the amount of fluid a compartment contains depends on the amount (concentration) of electrolytes in it. If the electrolyte concentration is high, fluid moves into that compartment (a process called osmosis). Likewise, if the electrolyte concentration is low, fluid moves out of that compartment. To adjust fluid levels, the body can actively move electrolytes in or out of cells. Thus, having electrolytes in the right concentrations (called electrolyte balance) is important in maintaining fluid balance among the compartments.

The kidneys help maintain electrolyte concentrations Water and electrolyte balance The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that figure prominently in the urinary tract. Each is about 4 to 5 inches (12 centimeters) long and weighs about one third of a pound (150 grams). One lies... read more by filtering electrolytes and water from blood, returning some to the blood, and excreting any excess into the urine. Thus, the kidneys help maintain a balance between the electrolytes a person takes in every day by consuming food and beverages and the electrolytes and water that pass out of the body in the urine (are excreted).

If the balance of electrolytes is disturbed, a person can develop health issues. For example, an electrolyte imbalance can result from the following:

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