Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Published : April 22, 2026 10:45 AM IST
Medically Verified By: Dr. Anupam Roy
When temperatures increase your body attempts to cool down on its own through sweating. So while sweating is a more natural way to help keep your body within a normal temperature range it can also result in losing important electrolytes needed by your body like sodium. Thankfully, in most healthy individuals the body has ways to compensate and restore the sodium balance fairly quickly. However, for people with a kidney-related condition this process is a bit more complicated than for healthy individuals.
According to Dr. Anupam Roy, Additional Director, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant, Aakash Healthcare Multi-Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, the kidneys help to maintain sodium balance in the body but excessive heat disrupts this balance by causing sodium to be lost through sweating or perspiration.
He said, "Generally speaking in a healthy individual as long as it is not too hot to provide a proper amount of perspiration the kidneys can compensate for sodium loss by conserving sodium and decreasing the amount of sodium excreted in urine. However this is not the case for everyone particularly those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or people on dialysis. This compensatory mechanism may not work properly which is why sodium can be either depleted or retained depending on fluid intake."
Fluid loss due to sweating will not only lead to decreased blood flow to the kidneys but it can also place those at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). Dr. Roy suggests that replenishing fluid from sweating with plain water will result in low sodium concentrations in the blood known as hyponatremia. This is a condition when a person starts to experience certain symptoms like tiredness, dizziness, confusion or severe signs like seizures.
He further notes, "Alternatively people typically eat many salty foods or electrolyte-rich beverages in the summer months with misinformation about restoring the fluid balance. This can be hazardous to kidney patients since excessive sodium intake may cause an accumulation of fluid, increased blood pressure and swelling of legs or lungs. Individuals with decreased kidney function have difficulty excreting or eliminating this elevated sodium concentration therefore may increase workload on the heart and blood vessels."
According to Dr. Roy another common reason for losing track of sodium levels during the summer is the hidden sodium present in packaged and processed foods. He said that snack foods, pickles, ready-made meals and some drinks can be high sources of sodium which can alter sodium balance even more.
In his words, "When you combine that with a lower ability of the kidneys to eliminate sodium and you also add large amounts of fluids to your body then you get a circle effect causing your body to have more fluids than normal. Over time it may disrupt short-term and long-term sodium and potassium balance in your body."
Check out these expert tips suggested by Dr. Roy to maintain proper sodium levels throughout the summer apart from creating or opting for careful plans to achieve your goal. These include:
Keeping track of blood pressure, body weight and levels of electrolytes is essential for anyone with serious kidney problems. In order to avoid worsening of condition it is important to learn the balance of salt, sweat and the health of your kidneys.
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No, infections from contaminated food, water and misuse of certain medicines can also harm the kidneys in extreme heat.
Dark yellow urine, frothy urine, and reduced urine frequency are key warning signs that indicate possible kidney stress.
Yes, extreme heat can cause acute kidney injury and long-term kidney damage.
