Hypervolemia is an excess of blood plasma leading to increased blood volume, often caused by heart, lung, kidney, or liver problems. Treatment varies depending on the cause, and may include medication, dietary changes, or ultrafiltration. Symptoms include edema and difficulty breathing.
Hypervolemia, also known as fluid overload, is a buildup of too much blood plasma leading to an increase in blood volume. The opposite is hypovolemia, in which the blood volume is lower than it normally would be due to decreased plasma. This condition is associated with heart, lung, kidney and liver problems and can also be related to other medical problems. Treatment for the condition varies depending on the cause and overall condition of the patient. While hospitalization is not necessarily required to treat it, the patient may have a condition that requires hospital care.
One of the most common causes of hypervolemia is congestive heart failure. As the heart struggles to function, blood begins to back up through the veins, leading to an increase in fluid in the veins. The kidneys also begin to fail and are no longer able to express the excess fluid from the body. Liver failure can contribute to an abnormally high blood plasma level, as well as lung problems, and often these problems are interconnected.
People can also develop hypervolemia from some drugs that cause fluid buildup in the body, such as some chemotherapy drugs. Excess intravenous fluids can also lead to an increase in blood volume. When someone is at risk for hypervolemia, a doctor may recommend certain steps that can be taken to ward off this condition at the time of the switch, and the patient will also be told to self-monitor themselves very closely for any symptoms so that intervention can be provided. quickly if this condition occurs.
When someone develops hypervolemia, edema may appear. Edema causes the arms and legs to swell as fluid builds up inside them. Deposits of fluid in the abdomen known as ascites may also be seen in some patients. Pulmonary edema is another complication of hypervolemia. People with pulmonary edema may have difficulty breathing and may have a chronic cough. Especially after lying down for a long time, the patient may experience extreme breathing difficulties.
Medications can be used to help patients express excess fluid, such as diuretics. Patients may also be encouraged to reduce the amount of salt in their diet to reduce the load on the kidneys so the kidneys can function better. If these measures don’t work, a procedure known as ultrafiltration can be used to filter some of the excess fluid from the blood and make the patient more comfortable.
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