Advised to drink salt water?

It might rather than drinking it he is asked to rinse his mouth as bacterial infection can be caused via the gums in the mouth that's the only reason I can suggest I'm no expert.

He might have low sodium in his blood , but that is usually treated by IV fluids , it isn’t exactly salty water , but water with different things dissolved in . My DS has low sodium and her fluid intake is limited , she can’t absorb salt , but it is leached out in her urine , it does make you a bit confused

It doesn’t sound right to me, advice is usually to limit sodium intake. Swilling round the mouth and gums with salt water is advised for prevention as it helps prevent gum infection. Do you think he may be mixing that up?

That sounds dangerous to me. Drinking salt water is going to cause dehydration and all the dangers associated with than. I suspect he has misunderstood.

Do you know what has caused the endocarditis? It can be caused by bacterial and fungal infections in the mouth. Maybe he has been told to rinse his mouth with salt water as an antiseptic.

medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001098.htm

Would suggest he checks with medical staff. If he needs Sodium Chloride will normally be given via IV fluids, so as to regulate the amount. Too much ingested salt can raise BP, not advised in any heart problems. Hope he’s better soon.

I’ve only ever heard of it in the case of excess sweating in very hot and humid climates.
Or IIRC a salt/sugar mix, when someone has been suffering from severe and prolonged diarrhoea or D&V.

Endocarditis is usually treated by intravenous antibiotics. If he has an electrolyte imbalance he will be given drinks which contain sodium, as well as other trace minerals. That may be what he's talking about.
I think salt water would raise his blood pressure, which wouldn't be ideal.
I'm no expert, someone else may be along with a better explanation.

don't know about that but, if you drink a glass of water frequently you need a 'salt lick' which is a few grains of salt in palm of hand and lick it off or you deplete your minerals and can collapse.... Happened to me, was given this advice at A&E.
you can die from too much water at once .

Thank you for your replies.

DH is a retired dentist so we know about the link between gum disease and endocarditis. He is on iv antibiotics to clear the infection before he has a heart op.

But, after calming my DSiL down again, we are wondering whether he was advised to rinse with salt water to aid the healing after he had extractions last week rather than anything else.

DD has very low salt levels diagnosed when we had to take her to Hospital aged 4 screaming from leg cramps.
Since then she has taken a tablet every day and has a blood test twice a year.
She does not add excess salt to her diet as table salt does not have all the necessary essential salts she needs.
The only time she did not take the tablets was when Pregnant, but was tested every week and put on a drip after giving birth.
We were told that it is not about "ordinary" salt but that helps.

Probably rinse as drinking salt water would make you vomit.