What are the signs and symptoms of hypervolemia?
Symptoms of hypervolemia range in severity for each person and could include:
- Swelling in an area of your body, most often your arms and legs, where it appears larger than it was a day ago.
- Bloating in your stomach.
- Mild discomfort like cramping or a headache.
- Quick weight gain.
Severe symptoms of hypervolemia that need immediate treatment include:
- High blood pressure.
- Shortness of breath.
- Your heart doesn’t pump blood as it should (heart failure).
If you have any serious symptoms, visit the emergency room immediately.
What causes hypervolemia?
Several factors could cause hypervolemia including too much salt in your body, an underlying condition or hormonal changes.
Salt (sodium)
Too much salt (sodium) in your body causes hypervolemia. Salt is an essential mineral in your body. Your body manages the amount of salt you eat with water. If you eat food that contains too much sodium, your body will use water to balance it back to a normal level. This is why you might feel thirsty after eating a lot of salty foods.
If you receive intravenous (IV) fluids after surgery or if you’re dehydrated, some fluids contain sodium. It’s possible to experience symptoms of hypervolemia while getting fluids from an IV because your body’s sodium levels aren’t balanced.
Underlying condition
Some conditions affect how your body manages fluid. Common conditions that could cause hypervolemia as a symptom include:
Certain medicines to treat these conditions may cause hypervolemia as a side effect, especially drugs to treat blood pressure or pain management.
Treating or managing the underlying condition could resolve hypervolemia and prevent it from coming back.
Hormonal changes and pregnancy
Changes to your hormones can cause hypervolemia, most often during your period or during pregnancy when your body retains more sodium and water. People who are pregnant often experience swelling in their legs or ankles because the uterus puts pressure on the blood vessels in the body’s lower trunk. This pressure prevents fluid from moving freely through your circulatory system.
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Why are the kidneys important to regulate fluid in my body?
Your kidneys help your body remove excess fluid through your urinary system, which leaves your body as pee (urine). Your kidneys function to balance the amount of fluid in your body, either by removing it or reusing it. Your kidneys are filters. They separate water and electrolytes (essential minerals including sodium and potassium) from waste. Waste leaves your body and the fluid that’s remaining gets recycled into your circulatory system to help your cells and organs function.
