[MomWriterStudent]

I consumed very little salt this week, mainly because I was very busy. I usually ended up grabbing an apple or something rather than cooking a big meal. I also decided that I suddenly hate potato chips (I was eating them like crazy before - I was dealing with intense salt cravings for a while).

I just realized that I had very little head pressure this week, and some days, it was completely gone. It returned today after lunch: Vietnamese spring rolls with lots of soy sauce.

Could just be a coincidence, but it seems like consuming excess sodium is one of the things that causes my head pressure. I believe some is also caused by neck and vision issues, but that pressure appears in different areas. I am diagnosed with Stage 2 hypertension, so that might also be why sodium seems to have such a big impact on me.

I'm going to start a low-sodium diet on Sunday after I go grocery shopping. I'll report back if it seems to help. Figured I'd share this in case it helps anybody else.

[SarahSmile0205]

lots of sodium would equal higher blood pressure.. and that could create issues... have you checked you BP?

[MomWriterStudent]

Originally Posted by SarahSmile0205

lots of sodium would equal higher blood pressure.. and that could create issues... have you checked you BP?

Just checked it because I almost fainted a minute ago. Very scary. No clue what caused that.

Anyway, it's 152/107 now. It was 136/103 earlier today, so that's a big jump. No more soy sauce for me.

ETA: The 136/103 was after my morning walk. It was actually even lower than that before the walk. It usually increases a bit immediately following the walk, so I monitor it to make sure I'm not pushing myself too much.

[EsthersDoll]

Hey guys, I know I'm always talking about hormones... but I've read a lot about them...

Salt Craving, especially an intense or long-lasting craving for salt can be an indication of a hormone imbalance. (Our bodies thrive on hundreds and hundred of different hormones!)

It can indicate Addison's Disease, or a deficiency in cortisol, which is a hormone we can't live without - literally:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...g/faq-20057988

And another hormone deficiency that can cause salt craving is aldosterone. This deficiency won't kill you - but it's often over-looked by even the best of Dr.'s. Aldosterone deficiency can cause the following symptoms:

fatigue
“cognitive fuzziness”
dizziness
lightheadedness on standing
palpitations

You can have your levels tested and most of the time, drinking licorice tea, or taking a licorice supplement can rectify it completely. They also have a medication for patients with the more serious cases of aldosterone deficiency can take.

Here's a paper on my Dr.'s website about this:

http://www.goodhormonehealth.com/youradrenal.pdf