Hypochloremia is an electrolyte imbalance that can be caused by various factors, including severe stomach flus, excessive sweating, anorexia, or kidney disease. Symptoms may not be noticeable, but treatment options include intravenous or oral fluid replacement with adequate amounts of sodium and chloride. Immediate medical attention is recommended for dehydration or any signs of electrolyte imbalance.
For a variety of reasons, the body’s electrolytes can get out of balance and become present in the body in more or less amounts than necessary. When electrolytes such as chloride, sodium or potassium get out of balance, this can have a very negative effect on the body. One condition, called hypochloremia, refers to chlorinated electrolyte levels that are too low, and as with any electrolyte imbalance, this condition poses a health risk and may require immediate treatment.
There are several circumstances that could cause hypochloremia. It can result from things like severe stomach flus causing significant nausea or vomiting in a short period of time. People may get hypochloremia if they sweat too much, usually in association with a high fever. It’s not hard to see how a stomach flu or intestinal bacterial infection can create all the circumstances necessary to cause, at least, mild hypochloremia.
There are more serious causes of this condition, including failure to thrive in infants, anorexia, or tube feeding. Newborns who are hospitalized with other medical conditions seem particularly prone to very severe cases. Adults may become mildly hypochloremic due to laxative or antacid abuse. Alternatively, because the kidneys regulate chloride production, if no other cause is found, hypochloremia could suggest some form of kidney disease in children or adults.
Except in the most exacerbated cases in which chloride depletion leads to alkalosis or a severe acid/base pH imbalance, few symptoms of hypochloremia may be present. It might only be noticed if people have blood tests that check electrolyte levels. However, the condition should always be suspected if a person has experienced massive fluid losses due to nausea/vomiting or sweating and appears to be dehydrated in some way. Once electrolytes become out of balance, more fluid loss can begin to occur. Some people with low chloride levels also seemed confused or disoriented.
In cases of the pediatric patient, especially if hospitalized, hypochloremia can be suspected by the type of condition a person has. Certain treatments such as taking diuretics can predispose people to this. Children are also more at risk for hypochloremic alkalosis if they have conditions such as cystic fibrosis or congenital chloride-losing diarrhea.
Treatment for low chloride may depend on the severity and cause. In some people, simple replacement of intravenous fluids with chloride is recommended to treat symptoms of dehydration and chloride loss. Less severe cases could be addressed by replacing the oral fluid with adequate amounts of sodium and chloride. If the condition is recurrent, investigation into the cause should begin, and this may particularly involve consultations with kidney specialists.
Hypochloremia is not a disease that can usually be treated successfully at home. Most people require immediate medical attention if they show any signs. In any circumstance where dehydration has occurred or is occurring, it is recommended that people seek medical attention immediately. Any of a number of electrolytes can rise or fall due to significant fluid loss, resulting in serious medical consequences.
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