Sodium and chlorine are the osmotic forces of the body. These substances, like glucose, create the conditions for maintaining the necessary level of osmolarity of biological fluids (plasma in particular).
If their performance is increased, then this is not a cause for concern. However, this phenomenon is considered the reason for contacting a doctor for consultation. Because a change in the level of macronutrients often speaks of pathologies of internal organs. Which ones? This should be described in more detail.
Chlorine value
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 acid-base balance.
It is also part of the gastric juice, which is necessary for the digestion of food. Its acid destroys microorganisms of pathogenic origin and removes them from the body.
Chlorine also helps relieve swelling, stabilize blood pressure, and normal liver function. Serum of a healthy 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 excess substance observed?
Elevated blood chlorine is the norm for infants up to 6 weeks old. In them, this figure can reach 116 mmol / L. Then it drops a little. But all the same, up to a year of life, the level of chlorine varies from 95 to 115 mmol / l.
And this figure persists until about 15 years. After overcoming this age limit, the concentration of the element in serum approaches the “adult” norm.
Causes of excess
In other cases, elevated blood chlorine is not the norm. If the level of the macronutrient does not correspond to standard indicators, which the doctor may suspect even after a general blood test, the patient will need to hand over 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 adult 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.
A change in the amount of chlorine in the blood is fraught with imbalance in the body systems, as well as the development of pathological processes.
Dehydration is a dangerous signal. If a person has vomiting, diarrhea, loss of fluid during burns, or if his water regimen is simply impaired, relative hyperchloremia cannot be avoided.
And metabolic acidosis occurs due to the fact that organic acids are not sufficiently oxidized. And, as a result, they are not completely excreted from the body. This problem is usually indicated by a low level of bicarbonate and the corresponding blood pH value.
Pathological factors
There are other causes of high blood chlorine. For example, malfunctioning of the excretory system. Due to kidney damage or renal failure, a violation of the water-salt balance often occurs. This leads to absolute hyperchloremia - a strong increase in the concentration of this substance in the blood. Also, this often occurs due to severe disorders of the cardiovascular system.
Other causes of high blood chlorine are:
- Syndrome and Cushing's disease. This is a neuroendocrine disease, which is characterized by increased production of hormones of the adrenal cortex.
- Diabetes insipidus (diabetes).
- Ureterosigmostomy.
- Drug treatment, the introduction of saline in large quantities.
- High temperature, due to which perspiration and, consequently, dehydration occurs.
- Heat exposure, excessively intense loads.
- High blood sodium.
- Diabetic coma.
- Excessive salt intake.
- Diabetes.
- Treatment with hormones, diuretics, corticosteroids.
- Starvation due to malnutrition or digestive upsets.
- Addison's disease. It manifests itself in insufficient production of hormones by the adrenal glands.
Another common cause is chemotherapy. People who have to go through it face kidney problems. This is one of the side effects. And when the kidneys are disturbed, they lose their ability to maintain normal electrolyte balance.
That is why patients undergoing chemotherapy should be tested regularly.
Symptoms
So, what does the increased chlorine in the blood mean? But by what signs can it be determined that the content of a given substance has moved away from the norm? The following symptoms indicate this:
- High blood pressure.
- Irregular heart rate.
- Fluid retention.
- Twitching, cramping, muscle weakness.
- Cramps.
- Changes in character.
- Difficulties with concentration.
- Tingling in the body or numbness.
How severe the symptoms are will depend on the person’s immunity, nutrition, and whether or not he is taking any medications.
Symptoms of electrolyte imbalance and hyperchloremia are very similar. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose this syndrome, given only the symptoms. To do this, you need to go to the doctor.
Diagnostics
As mentioned above, the diagnosis of hyperchloremia almost always requires additional examination. The doctor must understand why this phenomenon occurred. This is necessary to prescribe a competent treatment.
What procedures will help determine that chlorine is elevated? Blood analysis. It 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 about his diet and list the drugs taken, even dietary supplements and herbal supplements. Often, it is because of the drugs used that the level of chlorine changes.
Hyperchloremia treatment
It is non-specific, and therefore does not constitute any special difficulties. Here is what therapy involves:
- Taking medications to prevent diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.
- Change of drugs. This is if they are the cause of the imbalance.
- Be sure to use 3 liters of pure water per day.
- If necessary, receive intravenous fluids.
- Following a balanced diet.
- Treating mental illness if it is a cause of digestive upset.
- Refusal of aspirin, coffee and alcohol.
- Glucose control.
Normalizing the amount of chlorine in the blood is not difficult. But preventing hyperchloremia is not easy. Especially if she was provoked by Addison's disease.
Diet
To normalize the level of chlorine, you need to adjust your diet. An increased amount of this element is contained in such products:
- Legumes
- Bread.
- Fatty fish. This is tuna, carp, catfish, crucian carp, mackerel.
- Pork heart, turkey, beef kidneys.
- The eggs.
- Kefir, cottage cheese, condensed milk.
- Rice and buckwheat groats.
You can adjust the level of chlorine in the body with food. It is worth eating more nuts, apples, vegetable dishes. It should include millet and oatmeal, salads, soups with poultry in the diet. You also need to give up salt, alcohol, coffee. Drink only freshly squeezed juices and water that is not treated with chlorine.
Hypernatremia
This, as you might guess from the name, is the name of the condition in which the blood contains a lot of sodium. It is also common.
If the blood contains elevated sodium, and chlorine is also outside the normal range. This element is also responsible for retaining water in the body and maintaining the electrolyte balance. He also participates in the work of the muscle and nervous system.
The norm of this substance is 135-150 mmol / l in an adult. About 85% of it is found in blood and lymph.
Effects
If sodium and chlorine are elevated in the blood, then the cells lose water, as a result of which their volume decreases. This is fraught with intracerebral hemorrhage. Diarrhea develops, intense perspiration 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, a coma is possible, even a fatal outcome.
If we talk about less dire consequences, then we should highlight the violation of the renal nephrons and the secretion of vasopressin, high blood pressure, edema (including brain) and strokes.
That is why you should not ignore the symptoms, even those that seem insignificant. The sooner the problem is identified and treatment is prescribed, the better.