What Causes Hypervolemia?

Hypervolemia, which is also known as fluid overload, is a blood condition characterized by an excess of fluid in the body. When the body contains too much sodium, it retains water in an attempt to compensate. Though mild versions are usually treatable if caught early, hypervolemia typically occurs as a result of some other underlying health problem and should be investigated thoroughly. The condition comes about due to qutie a few different factors, from diseases to lifestyle choices. Get to know some of the major causes now.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis affects the liver's ability to filter toxins and process and store nutrients. Liver problems, in general, tend to cause the body to retain fluid in both the abdominal cavity and the extremities, such as the hands and feet. Cirrhosis of the liver is most commonly associated with long-term, excessive alcohol consumption or hepatitis. When the liver is damaged, and thus unable to function properly, the fluid filtration system cannot cope with the body's demands. Maintaining proper sodium balance in the blood is one of the most crucial functions of this filtration system. When a person damages the liver, sodium filtration and storage is one of the first elements to be tampered with.

Kidney Failure

The kidneys play another critical role in filtering toxins and nutrients in the body. As such, they are critical in regulating the amount of sodium and fluids present in the body and blood. Individuals with kidney failure are thus at a high risk of developing hypervolemia. Patients hospitalized for kidney failure are typically closely monitored for rising fluid levels, as they are more susceptible to developing the associated condition. Diabetes and other metabolic disorders are also known to contribute to kidney problems, so monitoring these individuals for symptoms of hypervolemia is also practiced across the medical community.

Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump a sufficient amount of blood to meet the needs of the body. If the heart's ability to pump blood decreases and weakens, the kidneys are also impacted, as they then cannot work to filter fluids out of the body effectively. This can directly, and quickly, lead to the excess of fluid that occurs with hypervolemia. Many studies have found a high correlation with hypervolemia in patients with chronic heart failure. For some individuals with this condition, the hypervolemia never disappears completely, even with thorough treatment.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy causes a seemingly innumerable number of changes within a woman's body, and fluid retention is just one of them. This is typically due to the intense hormonal changes that occur during the gestational period. During this time, the body increases its cardiac output, which causes the volume of blood being moved to increase dramatically. This in and of itself causes a mild hypervolemic effect, but expectant mothers are typically protected from the bad side effects through hemodilution, which masks significant blood losses. Hypervolemia actually prepares the pregnant woman's body for childbirth so fewer red blood cells are lost during the process, especially in the case of hemorrhage.

Nephrotic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is another kidney condition that can cause or occur along with hypervolemia. It is characterized by excreting an excessive amount of vital proteins in the urine, which again is due to a faulty and ineffective filtration system. Increased sodium content causes an increase in fluid available in the body, leading to increased urination and decreased retention of the nutrients that are meant to be reabsorbed. This causes low levels of protein to exist in the blood. High cholesterol also plays a role in its development, as it can cause the blood to stick and clot in both the legs and the lungs. Nephrotic syndrome can manifest as swelling around the extremities as well as near the eyes.

Premenstrual Edema

Premenstrual edema one of the symptoms that develops in an individual at certain times during their premenstrual cycle, where too much fluid in the body leads to swelling. Premenstrual edema develops in the second phase of an individual's menstrual cycle when levels of progesterone become elevated. This hormone can cause the venous walls to sag, which impairs the process of returning blood to the heart efficiently. When the valves in an individual's venous walls are not able to perform their function correctly, the return of blood to the heart decreases in speed. Fluids are forced out of the venous walls and into the extracellular spaces because this return process is impaired. In addition, higher progesterone levels cause increased renin, which immediately counteracts the process of natriuresis. Natriuresis is the homeostatic mechanism the body uses to lower sodium by inducing its excretion through the urine. Therefore, too much sodium is retained during this part of the menstrual cycle, which causes the retention of too much fluid, and potential hypervolemia.

Too Much IV Fluid

An individual who receives too many intravenous fluids may develop hypervolemia as an adverse side effect. Intravenous fluid is a type of medical treatment administered to patients who have become dehydrated or who cannot keep fluids down because of an injury, surgical procedure, medical condition, or another disease. An individual who has lost too much fluid due to severe diarrhea or severe bleeding may need to have intravenous fluids. Patients who have too much potassium in their blood may need to be treated with intravenous fluids. Intravenous fluids help ensure a patient who cannot consume fluids on their own does not experience severe dehydration and its related life-threatening complications. Intravenous fluids are mostly comprised of sodium and water. It can be difficult for medical professionals to determine and calculate how much fluids an individual's body requires, and hypervolemia can develop if too much is given for treatment.

Certain Medications

Hypervolemia may develop when patients take certain types of medications that alter some natural processes that would usually take place in the body. Medications that cause changes in the amounts of hormones within the body can cause hypervolemia. Examples include hormone replacement therapies, birth control pills, and other hormonal medications. Mild hypervolemia can be induced through the use of too many nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, like acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Drugs that lower blood pressure, slow the flow of blood in the body and certain antidepressants are known to cause hypervolemia in some cases. Repeated blood transfusions can increase the risk of hypervolemia. Corticosteroids can also produce this condition. Potent drug mixtures that are used to treat many forms of cancer are known to cause hypervolemia.

Consuming Too Much Salt

An individual can develop hypervolemia as a result of the consumption of an excessive amount of salt. The recommended daily limit for a healthy adult is 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. However, approximately 3,400 milligrams is the average daily sodium intake of a healthy adult in the United States. Salt and water are balanced in an individual's body by their kidneys, where water follows salt and vice versa. When water is lost due to sweating, salt is also lost. When salt is excreted through urine, water is also excreted. The body maintains its fluid balance using changes in sodium levels. Certain conditions and diseases that originally produce problems with the ability of an individual's body to regulate fluid levels can put them at a greater risk of developing hypervolemia if they do not consume a low salt diet. Examples of these conditions include kidney disease, cirrhosis, liver failure, and congestive heart failure.

Hyperaldosteronism

An individual who is affected by hyperaldosteronism may develop the manifestation of hypervolemia as a complication of their hormonal abnormality. Aldosterone is a hormone responsible for the regulation of blood pressure through the balance of potassium, water, and sodium in the blood. The glands that sit just above the kidneys, the adrenal glands, are responsible for the production and release of aldosterone. When an individual is affected by hyperaldosteronism, their adrenal glands produce an excess amount of aldosterone. An excessive amount of aldosterone in the body causes an abnormal loss of potassium and the retention of sodium. Sodium retention increases an individual's blood volume, blood pressure, and the amount of water their body retains. This abnormal retention of fluid in the body is what produces hypervolemia in hyperaldosteronism patients.