How Do You Get Sodium Overload? Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

December 31, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization, the global average adult sodium intake is more than double the recommended amount, significantly increasing the risk of health issues. But how do you get sodium overload, also known as hypernatremia, which is a specific, dangerous condition?

Quick Summary

This guide details the key causes of hypernatremia, primarily severe dehydration and excessive intake. It covers symptoms, prevention tips, and the critical distinction between chronic high sodium and acute sodium overload.

Key Points

Sodium vs. Salt: Table salt is sodium chloride, but sodium can also be found in many other food additives.
Hypernatremia is not just eating too much salt: It's a dangerous medical condition most often caused by severe dehydration.
Dehydration is a key factor: When water loss exceeds sodium loss, the body's sodium becomes dangerously concentrated.
Processed foods are the main culprit for high intake: Over 70% of the average person's sodium intake comes from processed and restaurant foods.
Read labels and cook at home: To effectively manage sodium intake, check nutrition labels and prepare more meals from fresh ingredients.
Chronic high sodium leads to hypertension: Sustained high salt consumption can cause fluid retention, leading to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease.
Watch for severe symptoms: Neurological signs like confusion, muscle twitching, or seizures indicate a serious medical emergency.

Most of us consume far more sodium than our bodies need, primarily from processed and restaurant foods. This pattern of chronic high sodium intake can lead to serious long-term health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney damage. While this is a significant health concern, it is distinct from acute sodium overload, or hypernatremia, where the sodium concentration in the blood becomes dangerously high. Hypernatremia is usually caused by severe dehydration and is a medical emergency, especially in vulnerable populations like the elderly and infants who may have an impaired thirst response. The average daily intake in the U.S. is around 3,400 mg, significantly exceeding the American Heart Association's ideal recommendation of less than 1,500 mg per day. A gradual reduction in salt consumption can retrain your taste buds, making lower-sodium foods more enjoyable over time. For healthy adults, the kidneys are highly efficient at filtering out excess sodium, so dietary intake alone doesn't typically cause acute overload, though it contributes to chronic high blood pressure.

Understanding Sodium: Salt vs. The Element

It is important to clarify the difference between salt and sodium. Table salt is the compound sodium chloride, of which about 40% is sodium. Sodium is the mineral element found naturally in many foods and added during processing in various forms, such as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and MSG (monosodium glutamate). While salt is a major source of dietary sodium, you can still consume too much sodium without adding salt from a shaker.

How Sodium Overload (Hypernatremia) Occurs

Dehydration as a Primary Driver

The most common pathway to true sodium overload is severe dehydration, where water loss exceeds sodium loss. This concentrates the sodium in the bloodstream, raising its level. Dehydration can be caused by:

Insufficient water intake
Excessive fluid loss from vomiting or severe diarrhea
High fever or excessive sweating
Medical conditions affecting the kidneys, such as diabetes insipidus

Medical and Iatrogenic Causes

Hypernatremia can also be a complication of other health issues or medical treatments. It is more common in hospitalized patients, particularly those in intensive care.

Medical Conditions: Disorders of the adrenal glands, uncontrolled diabetes, and severe burns can all lead to an electrolyte imbalance.
Iatrogenic Factors: In rare instances, particularly in hospital settings, hypertonic solutions administered intravenously or excessive intake of certain medications containing sodium can cause a sudden and dangerous rise in sodium levels.

Excessive Salt Consumption

While less common as a direct cause in healthy individuals, consuming massive amounts of salt can overwhelm the body's regulatory mechanisms. This is often an issue in cases of deliberate self-harm, dementia, or accidental poisoning, such as giving an infant formula with too much salt.

Common Dietary Sources of High Sodium

A significant portion of our sodium comes from packaged, prepared, and restaurant foods, rather than the salt shaker. Be mindful of the sodium content in these items:

Processed meats like bacon, deli meats, and sausage
Fast food items, including pizza and burgers
Canned goods such as soups, broths, and some vegetables
Snacks like chips, crackers, and salted nuts
Condiments and sauces, including soy sauce and some salad dressings
Baked goods, especially those with salted tops

Symptoms: What to Watch For

Recognizing the signs of both chronic high sodium intake and acute hypernatremia is crucial.

Symptoms of Chronically High Sodium Intake:

Increased thirst
Bloating and swelling (edema)
Frequent urination
Fatigue and weakness
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Headaches
Weight gain due to fluid retention

Symptoms of Acute Hypernatremia (Medical Emergency):

Intense, insatiable thirst
Lethargy and irritability
Confusion and altered mental status
Muscle twitching or cramps
Seizures
Coma (in severe cases)

High Sodium Intake vs. Hypernatremia: A Comparison


Feature	High Dietary Sodium Intake	Hypernatremia (Sodium Overload)
Typical Cause	Overconsumption of salt, mainly from processed foods, in a healthy person.	Severe dehydration or a medical condition that impairs the body's fluid balance.
Medical Term	No specific medical term; refers to excess intake.	Hypernatremia.
Timeframe	Chronic issue, developing over months or years.	Can be acute (sudden) or chronic, with acute cases being more severe.
Primary Effect	Fluid retention leading to higher blood volume and elevated blood pressure.	Water is pulled out of body cells, causing cellular dehydration, particularly affecting the brain.
Symptom Severity	Often mild or non-specific symptoms like bloating, thirst, and fatigue.	Can cause severe neurological symptoms like confusion, seizures, and coma.
Risk Population	General population, especially those with poor dietary habits.	Elderly, infants, and individuals with underlying medical conditions.
Treatment	Dietary modification and increased fluid intake.	Medical intervention to slowly and safely restore fluid and electrolyte balance, often with IV fluids.

Preventing Sodium Overload

Tips for Reducing Dietary Sodium

Cook more meals at home: This gives you full control over the ingredients and amount of salt used.
Read nutrition labels: Check the sodium content and compare products. A food item is considered low sodium if it has 140 mg or less per serving.
Use fresh foods: Opt for fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats instead of their processed counterparts.
Use herbs and spices: Enhance flavors with salt-free seasonings, herbs, garlic, and citrus.
Limit high-sodium items: Reduce consumption of fast food, processed snacks, condiments, and cured meats.

Maintaining Proper Hydration

For most people, staying adequately hydrated is a key preventive measure against hypernatremia. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially during exercise, hot weather, or illness causing vomiting or diarrhea.

Conclusion: Balancing Your Sodium Intake

While high dietary sodium is a common problem linked to long-term health risks like hypertension, true sodium overload (hypernatremia) is a more specific and dangerous condition usually caused by severe dehydration. By understanding the distinction and focusing on reducing processed food consumption, using alternative seasonings, and maintaining adequate hydration, most people can effectively prevent both chronic high sodium issues and the more severe risks associated with hypernatremia. For individuals with underlying medical conditions, such as kidney disease, managing sodium intake should always be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

WHO guidance on sodium reduction

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary cause is severe dehydration, which occurs when the body loses a large amount of water, concentrating the remaining sodium in the bloodstream. Common causes include insufficient fluid intake, diarrhea, vomiting, and high fever.

For most healthy individuals, no. The body's kidneys are very efficient at filtering excess sodium, and a functioning thirst mechanism prompts you to drink more water. However, consuming excessively high amounts of salt can lead to serious chronic issues like high blood pressure, especially if coupled with limited water intake.

Those most at risk include the elderly and infants, who may have an impaired thirst response or restricted access to water. People with underlying health conditions like kidney disease or uncontrolled diabetes are also vulnerable.

Common symptoms include increased thirst, bloating, fluid retention (edema), frequent urination, headaches, fatigue, and high blood pressure. These are different from the severe, acute symptoms of hypernatremia.

To reduce sodium, focus on eating fresh, whole foods, cooking more meals at home, and checking nutrition labels on packaged foods. Use herbs, spices, and other seasonings instead of salt. Limiting processed meats, fast food, and canned goods is also highly effective.

No, both table salt and most sea salts contain about 40% sodium. While different salts have varying textures and trace mineral content, the key factor for heart health is total sodium intake, regardless of the salt type.

If left untreated, severe hypernatremia can lead to cellular dehydration, especially affecting the brain. This can result in serious neurological problems, including lethargy, confusion, seizures, coma, and even death.