Sodium test
The balance of water and salt in your body, not how much salt you eat.
€3.93. You pay at the desk, not online.
- Preparation: No fasting needed on its own
- Prescription: Not needed
- Results: In the Rosa app, within 10 working days
- Also called: Sodio, Na, sodiemia, natriemia
Sodium test: what it is for
Blood sodium measures the balance of water and salt in your body, not how much salt you eat. Low sodium is the most common imbalance of water and salts. Usually there is too much water for the salt, often because of a medicine, drinking a lot of water, or vomiting and diarrhoea. High sodium, on the other hand, usually means too little water.
Why it is done
Sodium keeps water where it belongs, in your blood and around your cells. Your kidneys keep it in balance, guided by a hormone that decides how much water to hold on to.
When it drops fast, cells take on water and swell a little, in the brain too. That is why it can cause headache and confusion.
How the sodium test is done
It is a blood test, done at a Bianalisi lab without a prescription. You can add other tests to the same draw.
Questions about the sodium test.
Do I need to fast for a sodium test? Not for sodium. It is usually done with other tests that do need fasting, though, so it is best to arrive fasted. You can drink water.
How much does the sodium test cost? €3.93, from Bianalisi’s private list for Lombardy. You pay at the desk on the day of the draw, not online.
Do I need a prescription for the sodium test? No. You book it here without a prescription and pay at the Bianalisi desk.
When do results arrive? Within 10 working days, in the Rosa app, with each value next to the lab’s interval. The report a doctor approves is in the Rosa membership.
