My husband constantly craves salt. What causes this?
A craving for salt sometimes can be caused by a serious medical condition, such as adrenal insufficiency or Bartter syndrome.
Adrenal insufficiency
Adrenal insufficiency, also called Addison's disease, is a disorder that happens when the body doesn't make enough of certain hormones. In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, make too little cortisol and, often, too little aldosterone. These hormones control important body functions. They also help the body respond to stress. Addison's disease can cause salt loss from the body, and that may lead to a constant salt craving.
In addition to craving salt, other symptoms of Addison's disease include:
- Muscle aches and weakness.
- Severe tiredness and weakness. This also is called fatigue.
- Nausea and stomach pain.
- Weight loss.
- Low blood pressure.
- Darkening of the skin, called hyperpigmentation.
Bartter syndrome
A salt craving also could be a symptom of a rare kidney disorder called Bartter syndrome.
Get medical care
Encourage your husband to make an appointment with a healthcare professional to evaluate his salt craving. It's especially important for him to get medical care if he has other symptoms.
Without a condition that causes salt loss from the body, such as Addison's disease or Bartter syndrome, eating too much salt generally isn't good for you. Eating too much salt can raise the risk of developing high blood pressure. It also can cause swelling from holding too much fluid in the body.
Show References
- Husebye ES, et al. Adrenal insufficiency. The Lancet. 2021; doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00136-7.
- Konrad M, et al. Diagnosis and management of Bartter syndrome: Executive summary of the consensus and recommendations from the European Rare Kidney Disease Reference Network Working Group for Tubular Disorders. Kidney International. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.kint.2020.10.035.
- Heart disease: Sodium. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/sodium.htm. Accessed Feb. 3, 2022.
- Adrenal insufficiency and Addison's disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/adrenal-insufficiency-addisons-disease. Accessed Feb. 3, 2022.
- Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Feb. 8, 2022.
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/addisons-disease/expert-answers/salt-craving/faq-20057988