Urea and Electrolytes Profile Blood Test – Clinic Visit – £85

What are the Common Questions?

• Q: What happens when your body needs sodium?

  • A: Energy loss, drowsiness and fatigue, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps. 

• Q: What controls the sodium levels in the body?

  • A: Sodium levels in the body are partly controlled by a hormone called aldosterone, which is made by the adrenal glands.

• Q: What happens if sodium is high in the body?

  • A: Hypernatremia typically causes thirst. The most serious symptoms of hypernatremia result from brain dysfunction. Severe hypernatremia can lead to confusion, muscle twitching, seizures, coma, and death.

• Q: Can the body live without sodium?

  • A: The human body can’t live without some sodium. 

• Q: What increases sodium levels?

  • A: Dehydration, which may be caused by not drinking enough, diarrhoea, or certain medicines called diuretics.

• Q: Can drinking water lower sodium levels?

  • A: Drinking too much water can dilute sodium levels in the body to a dangerously low level.

• Q: Can high sodium cause problems?

  • A: High sodium consumption can raise blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

• Q: Why is potassium important for our body?

  • A: It is an essential electrolyte in the body, along with sodium or magnesium, responsible for assuring adequate functioning of our cells and tissues.

• Q: What are the different sources of potassium?

  • A: Bananas, dairy products, potatoes, nuts, watermelon, avocado, cooked white meat and poultry. 

• Q: What are the low-potassium food sources?

  • A: Cabbage, grapes, mushrooms, raw onion, green beans, pineapple, cucumber, lettuce leaves, blueberries, and eggplant. 

• Q: What are the causes of hyperkalemia (high potassium)?

  • A: Heart attack or strokes, drug abuse, alcoholism, kidney disorders, excessive dehydration, and excessive use of potassium supplements without consulting a doctor. 

• Q: What are the causes of hypokalemia (low potassium)?

  • A: Diarrhoea, vomiting, diabetes, renal disorders, folic acid deficiency, extreme sweating, overuse of drugs and alcohol. 

• Q: What are the symptoms of hyperkalemia?

  • A: Palpitation, breathing difficulties, fatigue or tiredness, chest pain, bowel disorders (constipation), vomiting, nausea, muscle pain and cramps.

• Q: What are the symptoms of hypokalemia?

  • A: Weakness, palpitation, bloating, increased urination, muscle cramps, feeling thirsty, low blood pressure leading to fainting. 

• Q: Why is bicarbonate important to the human body?

  • A: Bicarbonate is a base substance that the body needs to help keep a normal acid-base (pH) balance. 

• Q: What causes too much bicarbonate?

  • A: It may be due to digestive issues that disrupt the blood’s acid-base balance, like repeated vomiting.

• Q: What happens when bicarbonate is low?

  • A: Low bicarbonate levels in the blood are a sign of metabolic acidosis.

• Q: Which organ is responsible for bicarbonate?

  • A: The pancreas also secretes large amounts of sodium bicarbonate, which protects the duodenum by neutralizing the acid that comes from the stomach. 

• Q: What causes high urea levels?

  • A: The inability of the kidneys to remove the waste products efficiently causes high levels. 

• Q: What are the symptoms of high urea levels?

  • A: Itchiness, loss of appetite, restless legs, frequent urination, discoloured or bloody urine, swelling hands and feet, joint and back pain. 

• Q: What affects creatinine levels in the body?

  • A: Dehydration, exercise, physical changes in pregnancy, and kidney failure can all impact creatinine levels.

• Q: What is the danger of creatinine?

  • A: High creatinine levels can indicate that your kidneys aren’t working well. 

• Q: What should be avoided in high creatinine?

  • A: Eating less red meat and fewer fish products may reduce high creatinine levels. 

• Q: Can stress increase creatinine levels?

  • A: High creatinine levels were found to be positively associated with high-stress levels and psychological distress.

• Q: Can creatinine levels be reduced naturally?

  • A: Lower creatinine levels by avoiding creatine and eating more fibre and less protein.