Hypovolemia Cause Symptom Treatment

Hypovolemia

Hypovolemia is define as fluid loss or decrease extracellular fluid volume from the body. It can caused by sudden fluid loss, extreme bleeding, severe attacks of vomiting, diarrhea etc. It lead to decrease fluid volume in body. Dehydration is refer as condition of excess water loss from the body or decrease water level in body. It can cause temporary hypertonicity (increased muscle stimulation).


Hypovolemia is caused by fluid loss due to bleeding, vomiting attack, diarrhea and other secondary disease condition etc. It is characterized by cold skin, low blood pressure and increased heart rate etc. Patient experience shivering, headache, weakness and vertigo. Sudden fluid volume depletion causes unconscioussness due to sudden low fluid level from body. Treatment involve replacing fluid volume such as IV fluid (Sodium chloride or ringer lactate) and treating underlying cause for dehydration and fluid loss.

Pathophysiology 

Hypovolemia starts with low fluid volume in the body. It result in headache, vertigo, hypoxia, and less tissue perfusion. Decreased fluid loss causes alteration in conscioussness. Continuous reduction in the blood and fluid volume results in the stimulation of baroreceptors in the body. It in turn activate sympathetic nervous system causing vasoconstriction so that more blood is reached to body cells. Further it results in decreasing cardiac output and renal output. Eventually there will be a decrease in tissue perfusion to a major organs such as heart, lungs, and kidneys. It result in increased heart rate, cold skin and alteration of conscioussness etc. 

Causes of hypovolemia 

Hypovolemia is primarily caused by fluid loss from the body. It may occur suddenly as in accident, vomiting, diuretic therapy. Secondary hypovolemia occur due to infection, metabolic disorders, loose motion and drug side effects.

Primary causes of hypovolemia

• Kidney Abnormality :- Kidney dysfunction result in failure of reabsorption of the water. 

• Poor reabsorption of water in renal tubule 
• Overuse of drugs impairing kidney function 
• Inflammation of nephrons 

• Bleeding 

Bleeding from accidents, during menstrual cycle and internal hemorrhage can result to develop hypovolemia.

• Accidents 

During accidents due to injury high amount of blood loss occur which results in hypovolemia.

• Over use of diuretic therapy

Overuse of diuretic therapy result in hypovolemia. It involves loss of much fluid from the body through urine.

• Attacks of vomiting 

Vomiting attacks lead to loss of high amount of fluid from body. It result in less fluid level in body.

• Excessive sweating 

It occurs during shivering or high emotional triggers. It causes loss of much of fluid via skin tissues which causes hypovolemia.

• Burn 

• Metabolic diseases  

Secondary causes of hypovolemia are,

• Chronic infection 

Chronic infection could lead to increased metabolic activities which consume more water in the body. Long term infection result in dehydration and hypovolemic symptoms.

• Secondary infection 

• High fever 

• Side effects of drug 

• Intestinal disorders 

• Acute pancreatitis 

Hypovolemia symptom

Hypovolemia results in decreasing fluid volume resulting in low blood pressure, increased heart rate, altered consciousness, and cold hand and feet, etc. 

Other symptoms of hypovolemia are,

• Decreased perfusion 

Loss of fluid or blood volume from the body result in less blood supply to body cells and tissues. It then causes less oxyen and blood supply decreasing tissue perfusion of body. 

• Reduced skin tone 

Due to low water level in body, hypertonicity of muscle occur. During hypovolemia, patient suffer from increased muscle excitement and stimualtion.

• The pale color of skin 

Body cells are not able to nourish themselves lead to get injured and killed. It then lead to pale color of skin due to cell damage.

• Dry mouth

Dry mouth occur due to decreased saliva production and mucous secretions.

• Oliguria 

Oliguria is occur due to less blood supply to kidney occur, therfore decreasing urine output. 

• Decreased mucosa production 

• Low blood pressure 

Other symptoms are, 

• Thirst
• Fatigue
• Cyanosis 
• Weakness 
• Headache
• Fainting 
• Dizziness 
• Abdominal pain 
• Chest pain 

How to diagnose hypovolemia?

Hypovolemia is firstly diagnosed via the following symptoms:- 

1. Low blood pressure 
2. Decreased tissue perfusion seen as dry skin, pale skin 
3. Dry lips 
4. Fainting 
5. Thirsty person 

Other diagnostic test are,

• Complete Blood Count Test

It involves checking normal blood count of wbc, rbc and other blood chemistry. It uses to identify fluid level in the body.

• Oxygen saturation 

Oxygen saturation (SPO2) also indicates that body has decreased tissue perfusion due to low fluid volume. It is help to diagnose hypovolemia.

• Urine output measurement 

• BP measurement 

Treatment of hypovolemia 

Hypovolemia is treated in two ways, first is to treat the underlying cause & replacing fluid volume. During accidents bleed is stop by dressing .Fluid loss due to vomiting treated with antiemetic drug.

• IV fluids 

IV (intravenous fluid volume) is given to compensate the fluid loss, It involve sodium chloride or ringers lactate. It supplies and increases fluid volume in the body nourishing and increased perfusion of the vital organs such as heart, brain, lung, and liver.

• Increasing the fluid intake

Increase the amount of water intake up to 7 to 8 glass of water. one can also have a glass of juice to maintain fluid volume in the body.

• Oxygen therapy 

Oxygen therapy given to provide oxygen to body tissues and cells. It increases oxygen saturation in body preventing body from dehydration, pale skin and hypoxia.
Secondary therapy involves treating underlying causes such as antiemetic (control vomit attac), anticonvulsant and treat secondary disease conditions.

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