answersLogoWhite

0

Not only will it make you throw up BUT it will ALSO upset the normal sodium and potassium levels in your body. Sodium with the chemical symbol of Na and potassium with the symbol of K+ maintains an inverse relationship: when one is up the other goes down. What this means when you overuse salt is that potassium K+ goes down and sodium Na goes up.

Potassium maintains an optimum healthy range so that it can control and contribute to major body functions. One of its most important functions is to help the heart to beat properly and to regulate blood pressure. Low potassium can also affect the nerves, especially nerves that innervate (send impulses to) the heart.

Hypokalemia, the medical name for low (hypo) potassium (kalemia) is present in 1 out of 5 patients who are hospitalized (for any reason). But, many of these patients are ones who binge and purge.

Symptoms

Most patients have more than one symptom involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, kidneys, muscles, heart, and nerves. The primary symptoms include:

  • Weakness, tiredness, or cramping in arm or leg muscles, sometimes severe enough to cause inability to move arms or legs due to weakness (much like a paralysis)
  • Tingling or numbness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Abdominal cramping, bloating
  • Constipation
  • Palpitations (feeling your heart beat irregularly)
  • Passing large amounts of urine or feeling very thirsty most of the time
  • Fainting due to low blood pressure
  • Abnormal psychological behavior: depression, psychosis, delirium, confusion, or hallucinations.

Obviously, these symptoms have consequences. One important symptom is that you may end up so confused or "altered mentally" that you won't be able to tell anyone that you've ingested excess salt! They'll find, within hours, that your Sodium is way high and your potassium is very low. But, by the time they get back that report, you may already have changes on your EKG (electrocadiogram). The changes in your heart's electrical waves may already be so changed that you could be considered a candidate for a pacemaker. But, even before that is considered, you could end up "tubed" (a tube down your throat) and on a "vent" (ventilator). From being on a ventilator, there are risks to your vocal cords, so you might end up with a raspy voice for months. If the tube down your throat rubbed your vocal "folds", it can cause a node on the vocal cords. The node can be removed with surgery-- but that doesn't guarantee your voice will ever return to normal.

The biggest thing to remember is almost everything we put into our bodies has the potential of disrupting the normal state of electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium. Any substance that makes one vomit or have diarrhea changes those electrolytes. Rather than incur thousands of dollars in hospital bills or ICU bills (around $30,000 dollars for 3 to 4 days!), why not get help for your inclination or desire to vomit. Medical help and counseling can offer you alternatives to abusing your body.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

When cleaning a piercing does using uniondized salt hurt?

If you were to clean your piercing with salt by itself, it would certainly hurt! What people actually clean their piercing with is saline solution- a mix of sea salt and water. (A good ratio to use is 1 table spoon of salt per cup of water.) The saline solution itself should not hurt your piercing. However, sometime cleaning a piercing will irritate it. This may hurt, but the salt is not responsible.


Is it better for fish to have more salt in their water?

Only salt water fish. But if you have a pet salt water fish then it is better to use sea salt and research on how much sea salt to use.


Can you use a salt water boat in fresh water?

Yes, you can use a salt water boat in fresh water. However, it is important to rinse off the boat and its components thoroughly after each use in salt water to prevent corrosion and damage from the salt.


Is the Atlantic fresh water or salt?

Salt, but the term "seawater" is better to use.


Where you use can?

You can use evaporation to separate salt from a solution of salt and water.


What kind of salt water for tongue piercing?

Natural Sea Salt and tap water. I use a pinch of salt for a shotglass amount of warm water. or you can use 1/4 tsp of salt for 8 oz water.


2 ways to separate a mixture of salt sand and water?

Use filtration to separate the sand from the water and salt. Then use evaporation to separate the salt from the water. Use distillation to evaporate the water, leaving the salt behind. Then use filtration to separate the remaining sand from the salt.


How you could use water to separate salt?

Evaporate water, then the salt would be separated.


What are the steps for salt water?

To make salt water, simply dissolve salt in water until no more salt can be dissolved. The ratio is typically about 1 cup of salt per gallon of water. Stir the mixture until the salt is completely dissolved. You now have salt water ready for use.


Which salt for water softener?

Different water softeners use different grades of salt, so check with a water softener supplier. - Most non-electric, twin-cylinder water softeners for homes use block salt. - Most electric, single-cylinder water softeners for homes use tablet salt (also know as pebbles or pillows), although some use granular salt. - Most commercial water softeners use granular salt, although some very large ones have special brine tanks to take PDV (fine) salt. Julian Hobday of KindWater


How can a salt solution be obtained from what is left in the dish?

To obtain a salt solution from what is left in a dish, add water to the dish and stir to dissolve the remaining salt. Filtering the solution can help separate any solid particles from the salt solution. You can then collect the filtered salt solution for use.


What process did you use to separate salt from water?

The process used to separate salt from water is called evaporation. By heating the saltwater mixture, the water evaporates, leaving behind the salt crystals. The salt can then be collected once all the water has evaporated.