Symptoms Of Hypervolemia

Hypervolemia is a condition where the levels of fluid in the body, including the fluid part of the blood, are too high. Hypervolemia is rarely a stand-alone condition but a sign something else is wrong. These disorders include heart failure in the right ventricle, cirrhosis, kidney failure, and nephrotic syndrome, which happens when too much protein is excreted in the urine. Hypervolemia can also occur in the days before a woman’s menstrual period or during pregnancy. If hypervolemia goes untreated, it can make it hard for wounds to heal, cause the tissue to break down, damage the heart, and interfere with bowel function.

Swelling In Arms And Legs

Swelling in the arms and legs is often called edema and can indicate hypervolemia, as hypervolemia can cause the fluid to collect beneath the skin and in the body in abnormal ways. The peripheral edema that results in swelling in arms and legs happens when the capillaries beneath the skin start to leak, causing the tissues around them to swell like sponges. The extremities not only swell, but the skin appears shiny, and if someone presses their finger against the skin, it leaves an indentation that lasts for a while, the name for which is pitting edema. The swelling is also dependent on body position. Swelling in the appendages goes down when the patient lies on their back.

Shortness Of Breath

Edema caused by hypervolemia can also affect the lungs and is called pulmonary edema. It results when the fluid starts backing up into the lungs and collecting in the alveoli, which are tiny air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. When this symptom manifests, the patient has shortness of breath even when lying flat on their back. Indeed, the symptoms worsen when the patient lies down, and they may feel like they are drowning or suffocating and start to panic. Patients may also wake up gasping for air and may need to pile pillows at the head of their bed to sleep comfortably.