Hypovolemic shock can be fatal and symptoms include cold, clammy, pale skin, confusion, and low blood pressure. Doctors may also notice increased heart and breathing rates, low blood pressure, and kidney failure.
Hypovolaemic shock can occur when a patient is dehydrated, because the body needs water to maintain proper blood circulation. While this condition can be dangerous to health or even fatal, there are some symptoms of hypovolemic shock that should prompt patients to seek medical attention. For example, some of the first signs may include cold, clammy skin that is also pale, an indication that there isn’t enough blood in most areas of the body. The brain can also be affected if treatment is not given quickly, resulting in confusion and even loss of consciousness. Some symptoms of hypovolemic shock are only first noticed by doctors, because signs might include low blood pressure, a fast heart rate, and kidney failure.
Some of the more obvious symptoms involve the skin, which is often how other people notice when a patient is dealing with this health issue. The skin tends to feel clammy and cold to the touch. This is typically a result of the increased amount of perspiration on the surface, which also usually makes the skin feel clammy. These symptoms tend to show up in the extremities first, because the body needs to focus on pumping blood to the crucial core organs instead of the arms and legs. Another sign of this is pale skin, although the tongue, lips, and lining around the eyes may also look lighter than normal.
Other symptoms of hypovolemic shock affect the mental state of the patient. For example, it is normal for a patient to become anxious or fearful in general because he or she may not know what is going on. The patient may also act confused, because the brain is a part of the body that is usually adversely affected by hypovolemic shock. This is probably due to the fact that this organ does not get enough blood and there is not enough glucose in the body, which can also lead to loss of consciousness. It is usually important to try to manage hypovolemic shock before this symptom occurs, so prompt medical treatment is usually crucial.
Some symptoms of hypovolemic shock are mostly obvious to doctors because patients and their loved ones may not notice certain signs. For example, both a patient’s breathing rate and heart rate may speed up, because there is not enough oxygen in the blood cells, a problem that can lead to chest pain. Doctors may measure blood pressure and find it is lower than usual, although some patients feel lightheaded before seeing a doctor. Also, the kidneys can signal that they are shutting down when they stop producing urine.
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