Sodium and chlorine are the osmotic forces of the body. These substances, like glucose, create conditions for maintaining the osmolarity of biological fluids (plasma in particular) at the required level.
If their scores are high, it's not a cause for concern. However, this phenomenon is considered a reason for contacting a doctor for advice. Because a change in the level of macronutrients often indicates pathologies of internal organs. Which ones? This should be told in more detail.
Value of chlorine
Anions of this substance are part of almost all body fluids. Most of them are in the intercellular and in the blood. The main task of chlorine is to maintain the acid-base balance.
It is also part of the gastric juice, which is necessary for the digestion of food. Hisacid destroys microorganisms of pathogenic origin and removes them from the body.
Chlorine also helps to relieve swelling, stabilize blood pressure, normal liver function. The serum of a he althy person normally contains such an amount of a substance that is obtained at the rate of 30 mmol / kg. In the blood - from 97 to 108 mmol / l.
When is there an excess of matter?
Elevated blood chloride is normal for babies up to 6 weeks of age. In them, this figure can reach 116 mmol / l. Then it goes down a bit. But still, up to a year of life, the level of chlorine varies from 95 to 115 mmol / l.
And this figure lasts up to about 15 years. After overcoming this age limit, the concentration of the element in the serum approaches the “adult” norm.
Causes of excess
In other cases, elevated blood chlorine is not normal. If the macronutrient level does not correspond to the standard indicators, which the doctor may suspect even after a general blood test, the patient will need to donate his biomaterial to find out data on its macronutrient composition.
The reasons for this phenomenon may be different. Many of them are temporary, and therefore do not require medical treatment. But others should be treated as soon as possible.
You should know that elevated chlorine in the blood as a phenomenon has a name - hyperchloremia. This diagnosis is made if the indicator in an adulthuman is more than 108 mmol / l. There are two main reasons:
- Dehydration.
- Metabolic acidosis. This is the name of the shift in the acid-base balance of the body towards acidity.
Change in the amount of chlorine in the blood is fraught with imbalance in the body's systems, as well as the development of pathological processes.
Dehydration is a danger signal. If a person has vomiting, diarrhea, fluid loss due to burns, or he simply has a disturbed water regime, relative hyperchloremia cannot be avoided.
And metabolic acidosis occurs because organic acids are not oxidized enough. And, as a result, they are not completely excreted from the body. This problem is usually indicated by a low bicarbonate level and a corresponding blood pH.
Pathological factors
There are other causes of high chlorine in the blood. For example, malfunctions of the excretory system. Due to kidney damage or kidney failure, there is often a violation of the water-s alt balance. This leads to absolute hyperchloremia - a strong increase in the concentration of this substance in the blood. It also often occurs due to severe disorders of the cardiovascular system.
More causes of high blood chlorine are:
- Syndrome and Cushing's disease. This is a neuroendocrine disease characterized by increased production of hormones from the adrenal cortex.
- Diabetes insipidus (diabetes).
- Ureterosigmostomy.
- Treatment with medication, administration of saline in large quantities.
- High temperature causing sweating and dehydration.
- Heat exposure, excessively intense exercise.
- High blood sodium levels.
- Diabetic coma.
- Excessive s alt intake.
- Diabetes.
- Treatment with hormones, diuretics, corticosteroids.
- Hunger due to malnutrition or indigestion.
- Addison's disease. It manifests itself in insufficient production of hormones by the adrenal glands.
Chemotherapy is another common cause. People who are forced to undergo it are faced with kidney problems. This is one of the side effects. And when the kidneys fail, they lose their ability to maintain normal electrolyte balance.
This is why chemo patients should be tested regularly.
Symptoms
So, what does high chlorine in the blood mean - clearly. But by what signs can one determine that the content of a given substance has deviated from the norm? The following symptoms indicate this:
- High blood pressure.
- Irregular heart rate.
- Fluid retention.
- Twitching, spasms, muscle weakness.
- Convulsions.
- Changes in character.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Tingling in the body or numbness.
How severe the symptoms will bedepends on the person's immune system, their diet, and whether they are taking any medications.
Signs of electrolyte imbalance and hyperchloremia are very similar. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose this syndrome, considering only the symptoms. To do this, you need to go to the doctor.
Diagnosis
As mentioned above, the diagnosis of hyperchloremia almost always requires additional examination. The doctor must understand the reason for this phenomenon. This is necessary for the appointment of competent treatment.
What procedures will help determine that chlorine is elevated? Blood analysis. He will also determine whether a person has problems associated with the liver or kidneys.
Also, the patient will need to provide the doctor with information regarding their diet and list the medications they take, even dietary supplements and herbal supplements. It is often because of the medications used that the level of chlorine changes.
Hyperchloremia treatment
It is non-specific, and therefore does not pose any particular difficulties. Here is what the therapy includes:
- Taking medicines to prevent diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
- Change drugs. This is if they are the cause of the imbalance.
- Be sure to drink 3 liters of clean water per day.
- Intravenous fluids if needed.
- Eating a balanced diet.
- Treatment of mental illness if it is the cause of indigestion.
- Rejectionfrom aspirin, coffee and alcohol.
- Glucose control.
It is not difficult to normalize the amount of chlorine in the blood. But preventing hyperchloremia is not easy. Especially if Addison's disease provoked her.
Diet
To normalize the level of chlorine, you need to adjust your diet. An increased amount of this element is found in the following products:
- Beans.
- Bread.
- Fatty fish. These are tuna, carp, catfish, crucian carp, mackerel.
- Pig heart, turkey, beef kidneys.
- Eggs.
- Kefir, cottage cheese, condensed milk.
- Rice and buckwheat.
It is possible to correct the level of chlorine in the body with the help of nutrition. It is worth eating more nuts, apples, vegetable dishes. Millet and oatmeal, salads, soups with poultry should be included in the diet. You also need to give up s alt, alcohol, coffee. Drink only freshly squeezed juices and water that is not treated with chlorine.
Hypernatremia
This is, as the name suggests, the name of a condition in which there is a lot of sodium in the blood. It is also common.
If sodium is elevated in the blood, and chlorine is also outside the normal range. This element is also responsible for retaining water in the body and maintaining electrolyte balance. He also participates in the work of the muscular and nervous system.
The norm of this substance is 135-150 mmol/l in an adult. About 85% of it is found in the blood and lymph.
Consequences
If sodium and chlorine are elevated in the blood, the cells lose water, as a result of which their volume decreases. This is fraught with intracerebral hemorrhages. Diarrhea develops, intense sweating begins, and the amount of fluid in the bloodstream increases.
In the event that the amount of cations (sodium in particular) increases to 180 mmol / l, coma is possible, even death.
If we talk about less terrible consequences, then we should highlight the disruption of the renal nephrons and the secretion of vasopressin, high blood pressure, edema (including the brain) and strokes.
This is why symptoms should not be ignored, even those that seem minor. The sooner the problem is identified and treated, the better.
