When talking about varicose veins, everyone visually imagines a bluish network of swollen blood vessels, but few people realize why varicose veins are dangerous on the legs of women.
Varicose veins are far from a cosmetic defect, but a serious pathology that can lead to dangerous consequences. Varicose veins appear in the legs, but in the absence of medical care they can “reach” the heart.
The nature of the occurrence of varicose veins is related to the gravity of our planet. The heart pumps blood and ensures continuous blood flow throughout the body. On those vessels that are located above the heart, gravity does not have a negative effect.
Things are worse in the vessels that are located below, namely on the legs. When the tone of the veins decreases or the tendency to develop blood clots, blood circulation in the vessels of the legs worsens. The blood stagnates and the blood vessels are damaged. This leads to varicose veins.
The disease at an early stage is almost asymptomatic. Often, representatives of the fair sex attribute heaviness in the legs, swelling, and aching pain in the legs to general malaise after a hard day. In fact, with such symptoms, the body can signal that varicose veins are beginning.
The first stage of varicose veins is characterized by external manifestations of the disease:
Symptoms of this stage include rapid fatigue and possible leg cramps.
Varicose veins of this form make themselves felt in the evenings, after a long stay on your feet.
According to statistics, most patients seek medical help at the second stage. Pain in the legs intensifies, swelling and cramps in the evening and at night become constant.
The third stage is the most dangerous. The outflow of blood from the legs worsens. The skin becomes dry and changes pigmentation. The veins become inflamed, clearly bulge, and with any injury there is a risk of damaging the vessel. This stage is the most severe and, if left untreated, varicose veins develop into other more severe diseases.
World statistics show that women are five times more likely to suffer from varicose veins. And there are reasons for this:
Reference. According to statistics, about 90% of cases of varicose veins are associated with pregnancy.
Lack of treatment for varicose veins not only aggravates the condition of the veins, but also leads to serious and dangerous consequences. Advanced varicose veins progress and, if not properly treated, can be fatal. Types of consequences of varicose veins:
Let's look at them in more detail below.
This is inflammation of the vein walls from the inside. Visually, this manifests itself in redness of the skin over the veins. There is swelling and pain when touched. The skin over the vein itself becomes painful.
The site of the inflamed vein becomes warm. Exacerbation of phlebitis leads to severe pain when touching the affected area. The skin acquires a bright color, movement of the limb leads to pain.
This condition of the veins leads to thinning of their walls. Even minor trauma can cause bleeding under the skin. A brown spot is observed at this place; it disappears over time. However, there are situations where the brown pigment remains forever.
Characterized by the appearance of blood clots on the walls of veins. The patient is concerned about the following symptoms:
The danger of this condition is that blood clots potentially threaten a person’s life. A blood clot can break off at any time and travel through the bloodstream to the pulmonary artery. This situation can even lead to the most disastrous consequences. The likelihood of death is small, but exists.
Ignoring thrombophlebitis is fraught with the occurrence of thrombosis, when blood clots form in the deep veins. The danger of the condition is that the formation of blood clots in the deep veins is more likely to be fatal . The deep veins lead to the heart muscle, where the clot can travel to the pulmonary artery.
When a blood clot separates from the venous wall and moves into the pulmonary artery, thromboembolism develops. The thrombus blocks blood flow to the left atrium. The severity of the consequences directly depends on the size of the blood clot. In such a situation, the following symptoms are observed:
Advanced cases of varicose veins can lead to swelling of the limbs. Varicose edema is divided into two types:
The nature of the first edema is often associated with the birth of a child and occurs in the first time after childbirth. The legs swell and become whitish in color. They arise due to obstruction of blood flow in the deep veins.
Blue swelling is what makes varicose veins dangerous. It leads to blue extremities. Due to poor circulation in the extremities, the feet become cold.
Failure to take therapeutic measures in this case leads to the formation of trophic ulcers. Such wounds are filled with purulent contents and, once they appear, can remain for life. In the worst case, swelling leads to gangrene of the limbs.
When the disease is advanced, the condition of the vascular walls worsens. When there is a jump in venous pressure (can even occur due to coughing), or external trauma to the affected area, the vein is easily damaged and bleeding occurs.
As pregnancy progresses, a woman's hormonal background changes significantly. Hormonal surges can become a prerequisite for the occurrence of varicose veins. Complications during pregnancy are more likely to occur, since many treatments are contraindicated during this period.
The consequences of varicose veins during pregnancy include:
If the appearance of varicose veins cannot be avoided, the woman is recommended to wear compression stockings before giving birth to avoid injury to the affected areas and bleeding.
However, if there are complications or varicose veins in an advanced form, this may become a contraindication to natural delivery.
The sooner treatment for varicose veins begins, the faster the result will be achieved.
A frivolous attitude towards varicose veins on the legs leads to serious and even life-threatening consequences. Venous insufficiency, blockage of blood vessels, tissue necrosis, the formation of ulcers and even gangrene - this is what varicose veins in the legs lead to.
Such consequences do not necessarily occur when the disease lasts for years; complications can arise within a few days. By neglecting treatment, you not only worsen the quality of your life, but also put it at risk.
What is Pelger's abnormality of neutrophils? Without neutrophils, no inflammatory process occurs in the human body. This happens because the membranes of these substances are designed to transport receptors for class G immunoglobulins, and their granules inside have bactericidal substances. Due to their large number, they literally stand at the head of the leukocyte unit.
The main distinctive and useful characteristic of neutrophils is their lightning-fast reaction to infection, that is, as soon as inflammation begins, they immediately try to absorb and neutralize pathogenic bacteria.
When a person receives the results of his blood test, he is confused by the question - why there are 4 types of neutrophils and what in this case will indicate pathology:
Neutrophils, after doing their job, transform into pus, representing dead cells.
But neutrophils increase not always due to the presence of pathology; often the presence of the following conditions leads to this:
When neutrophils are higher than normal, this pathology is called neutrophilia, and if they are lower than normal, neutropenia.
This pathology is a blood change that is inherited in a dominant manner, when the process of segmentation of the nuclei of neutrophil leukocytes is destroyed.
In the presence of this condition, the leukocytes remain young in their form, but at the same time the nucleus ages as it matures. Its structure is coarsely blocky and it is often monolobar and non-segmented. Sometimes there are nuclei in the shape of an ellipse, bean, circle and barrel, but it is not as long as that of normal neutrophils, which causes some difficulty in examination and diagnosis.
But at the same time, phagocytosis, duration of existence and enzyme content in Pelger neutrophils are no different from normal mature ones, but when taking tests, doctors see that the number of band cells is noticeably increased. Such a picture may indicate the presence of infectious inflammation or the presence of just such a hereditary pathology.
But to confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to carefully examine the blood of the parents, since this disease is hereditary.
Pelger's anomaly is the primary sign of a disorder of granulopoiesis; it occurs in the presence of:
It is important for the patient to know that this pathology is benign and occurs in 1 in 1,000 cases, regardless of gender.
A small number of experts say that in the presence of this hereditary disease, changes occur in the bones, that is, there may be slow growth and deformation of the bones.
Today, every fourth person on earth is susceptible to such a disease as varicose veins. But not everyone realizes the seriousness of this disease.
According to statistics, women, not men, are most susceptible to varicose veins. So women get it three times more often than the stronger sex. About 20% of the adult population of the Earth have varicose veins of the lower extremities.
It is a well-known fact that blood flow is affected by the gravity of the Earth. Our heart, performing the function of a pump, is designed to continuously drive blood through the veins. At the same time, gravity has a beneficial effect on the blood supply to those organs that are located above the heart.
But for the blood vessels of the legs, gravity is harmful. So, if the tone of the veins is reduced or there is a tendency to form blood clots, circulatory disorders occur. Blood stagnates in the veins, which leads to deformation of blood vessels. These deformed veins are varicose veins.
Thus, varicose veins are a disease in which blood pressure increases, the walls of the veins become inelastic, weaken and begin to expand, unable to withstand the load. This is how varicose veins form.
The first sign of varicose veins is a cosmetic defect. This is what encourages women to see a doctor at an early stage. Dilated veins, swollen plexuses, and varicose nodes are clearly visible on the legs. In this case, dilated veins are better visible when the patient is in a horizontal position rather than in a vertical position.
Compression garments help legs with varicose veins
But varicose veins are not only cosmetic problems; their danger lies in the possibility of complications. Neglect, untimely or incorrect treatment can lead to bleeding, thrombosis (partial or complete closure of a vein by a blood clot) and thrombophlebitis (inflammation of the venous wall due to thrombosis), and the formation of a trophic ulcer.
Due to obstructed venous outflow, a painful condition occurs - chronic venous insufficiency. In the early stages it is characterized by the appearance of small nodes of varicose veins. They do not cause much concern, although they may ache from time to time. Next, the dilated veins become enlarged. The disease begins to progress.
If you do not receive treatment on time, stage 3 of venous insufficiency occurs. It is characterized by constant swelling of the legs, persistent heaviness in the legs, darkening of the skin in the ankle area. Skin inflammation, dermatitis, eczema, and thrombophlebitis often develop. At the last stage of the disease development, trophic ulcers appear.
Thrombophlebitis occurs in 25% of patients with varicose veins. It occurs due to slow blood flow, mainly in large nodes. Under such conditions, the formation of a blood clot can be caused by any factor that increases blood clotting. For example, overheating, hypothermia, sprains, injuries, scratches, pregnancy, acute respiratory infections.
trophic ulcer occurs - this is a long-term non-healing wound. It appears in the last stages of varicose veins and causes patients a lot of suffering.
Every fifth patient with varicose veins who has not received treatment develops a trophic ulcer. However, the healing of such ulcers takes a long time and often they return even after successful treatment.
According to statistics, 1% of patients with varicose veins suffer from complications, which often lead to disability.
Brown spots (dermatitis)
Contraindications for varicose veins. 10 rules you need to know.
Simply raising your legs up will improve blood flow from your lower extremities
Varicose veins are not included in the list of diseases for which pregnancy is contraindicated. Moreover, the disease often occurs due to pregnancy. Therefore, the main thing for a woman is to promptly prevent inflammation of the veins and thrombosis.
The choice of the method of childbirth remains with the woman, who should consult a gynecologist and phlebologist (a doctor who deals with vein diseases). It is better to choose a natural birth, but at the same time, your legs are either put on special stockings or bandaged with elastic bandages, which should prevent blood from flowing in the opposite direction during pushing and keep the veins in good shape.
A good prevention of varicose veins after childbirth would be exercise therapy, walking, and wearing elastic underwear. Experts also recommend starting to get out of bed as early as possible and walking a lot.
But don’t forget about complications. Yes, pregnant women
are susceptible to thrombosis 5-6 times more often and after childbirth the risk only increases. This is due to inactivity, long periods of lying down, blood clotting disorders, and slower blood flow in the veins.
Sitting with one leg on top of the other, you compress the veins under the knee
Vascular diseases develop gradually. On the one hand, this is good - you can start treatment at an early stage; on the other hand, constantly putting it off until later. Few people go to the doctor after noticing the first symptoms of the disease (swelling, heaviness in the legs, long-lasting marks from rubber bands). More often, anxiety appears when a network of blood vessels appears on the legs or even bulging veins appear.
We must remember that in the early stages modern medicine learned to cure varicose veins. Therefore, you should not start the disease. So, what means can you get rid of varicose veins?
Now there are many venotonic drugs that are very effective in the early stages of treatment. But to enhance their effect, you need to wear special compression hosiery. These are tights, knee socks and stockings that gently compress the leg and do not overcrowd the blood vessels, which slows down the development of the disease
However, we must clearly remember that varicose veins cannot be cured with medications alone. They serve only to prevent thrombophlebitis and reduce venous insufficiency.
You can also take a course of special massage – lymphatic drainage. After the procedure, blood flow improves and swelling decreases. But the effect of lymphatic drainage is temporary, and therefore does not replace venotonic drugs and wearing special underwear.
As a complement to medication treatment, you can turn to traditional medicine. So, a shower helps a lot. Every day, massaging your feet with jets of water, you need to gradually lower the temperature until it becomes completely cold.
If it is difficult to water with cold water, you can take a contrast shower, be sure to complete the procedure with cold water. After the procedure, you need to rub your feet with a towel and anoint them with nourishing cream.
She also recommends doing foot baths to get rid of fatigue. The main thing to remember is that if you have varicose veins, you should not take hot baths. Such folk recipes can slow down the development of the disease, but will not help get rid of it.
Vein sclerotherapy is a painless treatment method
One of the non-surgical and effective methods of treating varicose veins is sclerotherapy. This method involves injecting a certain drug into a varicose vein, which promotes gluing of the vein and its gradual resorption. After which blood circulation continues only through healthy veins. Treatment consists of 3-6 therapy sessions.
The result of treatment becomes visible only after 2-8 weeks, and until this point the patient may experience pain and tingling. After successful sclerotherapy, varicose veins almost never appear again.
The cost of treating varicose veins depends on the degree of advanced disease. Non-surgical treatment, effective in the early stages, is much cheaper. Thus, the cost of venotonic drugs starts from 250 rubles, special underwear – from 1000 rubles, and a sclerotherapy session – 600 rubles. While operations in the later stages of the disease will cost several thousand dollars.
The main thing is to take care of your health and consult a doctor at the slightest sign of illness, then you can avoid severe physical, moral and material consequences.
And not only in the early stages are the drugs effective. I started taking phlebodia when my legs became like an elephant’s and an ulcer appeared on my shins. Of course, I had to increase the dosage, but there is an effect, and a good one. I combine treatment with massage and swimming, and wear compression garments. You can heal at any stage if you set yourself a goal.
Medicines generally help better than surgery, because they fight the entire problem, and not just its visible consequences. And for the creation of phlebodia, special respect goes to the pharmacists, an excellent drug.
To be honest, I couldn’t believe that one tablet a day could save me from these terrible swellings. I kept asking the doctor if maybe something else needs to be done. He categorically insisted that phlebodia would handle it. And really, I did it :)
What does masturbation lead to? Urologists believe that masturbation is harmful. And this applies to both men and women. It is argued that such an activity is fraught with a hidden threat.
Although masturbation has been a very common way of satisfying passion at all times, and a number of primitive peoples was a generally accepted and encouraged phenomenon, today it is considered a bad habit that affects both women and men.
For their part, the observations of doctors indicate that every fifth of those with prostatitis, which is accompanied by sexual dysfunction, has, albeit for a long time, been engaged in masturbation. At the same time, in women, masturbation appears later and is less common, since their sexual sensitivity is lower than that of men.
The difference between masturbation and normal sexual intercourse, after which a man receives calm, satisfaction and improvement in his general condition, lies in the artificial irritation of the genital organs, supported by fantasies, after which, despite the perceived relief, a depressed state, despondency, and weakness sets in. During sexual intercourse, the woman’s appearance, touch, and visual perception are important, which is completely absent during masturbation. At the same time, those who engage in masturbation in most cases realize that this hobby is vicious, that it is harmful to health. Often the act of masturbation ends in remorse, shame and dark emotional experiences, however, what is even more dangerous, a person cannot help himself.
In addition, even though masturbation is not in the slightest degree a full-fledged replacement for sexual intercourse, with frequent masturbation, even the meager pleasure obtained from it begins to decrease over time. especially if there are frequent onanistic acts.
Very powerful psychological influences are associated with sexual intercourse, when a large number of erogenous zones are excited, giving part of their excitement to the genital zone. Thus, the process develops in the sensory zones and centers of the sense organs, and fantasy is secondary here. With masturbation, the senses do not take part in the process and arousal arises only from conscious fantasizing and mechanical stimulation of the genitals. The orgasm itself, under normal conditions, is associated with a large number of powerful emotions that are initiated by a member of the other sex. Satisfaction during sexual intercourse is based on the joy caused by these emotions, and the release of orgasm is also based on this.
After an act caused by masturbation, complete relaxation of all organs cannot occur and for some time they remain in a state of tension. In this case, ejaculation is often caused even before a full erection occurs, this leads to the consolidation of a conditioned reflex, and in the future during sexual activity in a man, ejaculation will precede a full erection, and this is already considered a sign of sexual weakness.
In all cases, onanistic acts, especially regular ones, depress the psyche and to some extent isolate a person from society, while his normal psychological development and formation are disrupted.
The negative consequences of masturbation depend on the form of masturbation. Reflex masturbation causes minimal harm, since in this form only the primary spinal genital centers are involved. Frequent onanistic acts lead to exhaustion of the body and psychological depression. At the same time, if you succeed in weaning your child from masturbation, no harmful consequences should be expected.
Conscious masturbation is fraught with more harmful consequences, and their level and form depend on the frequency of masturbation and the duration of masturbation.
With very frequent onanistic acts, up to three times a day, which last for years, the body’s nervous system is depleted, inflammatory processes develop, including prostatitis in men and adnexitis in women, which in turn lead to various disorders of sexual function.
All men and women who engage in masturbation for a long time are characterized by decreased sensations during physiological sexual intercourse.
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What are the dangers of varicose veins on the legs of women? This disease can lead to serious complications, so it is necessary to get rid of the disease in the early stages. Various methods are used for treatment: ointments and creams, tablets, special underwear. In the advanced stage, surgery cannot be avoided.
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What are varicose veins? This is a pathological process in which veins and blood vessels are damaged. As a result, the diameter of the lumen increases, the walls of the great saphenous vein become thinner, and a varicose node is formed.
What causes varicose veins in the legs? The reasons are quite varied. It is worth considering that the development of the disease is more often observed in women. Varicose veins on the legs in men are diagnosed 3 times less often. This is due to the structural features of the male body.
Every year, varicose veins of the lower extremities are becoming an increasingly common disease among young people and even children.
Varicose veins of the lower extremities develop for the following reasons:
Varicose veins of the deep veins are often observed in women who use hormonal contraceptives, are treated with hormonal medications, constantly take hot baths, visit baths and saunas, perform warming procedures, and wax depilation. In addition, excess weight and overeating, smoking and alcohol, excessive consumption of fatty, salty and spicy foods, and carrying heavy bags have a negative impact.
If any of the factors listed above are typical for you, then you should reconsider your lifestyle.
In what cases should you be wary? What signs can be used to diagnose varicose veins of the legs? Symptoms of damage to the great saphenous vein include:
As soon as such symptoms are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor. The sooner you visit a specialist, the faster and easier it will be to get rid of unpleasant varicose veins. In addition, this eliminates the development of more complex and dangerous diseases.
What danger does varicose veins of the lower extremities pose for a woman? The most harmless manifestation of the disease is not an aesthetic appearance. The presence of spider veins, nodes - all this negatively affects the appearance of women's legs. Naturally, they leave an unpleasant impression. Therefore, many women who have varicose veins in their legs wear trousers or long skirts.
It all starts with obstructed venous outflow, or venous insufficiency. Next, nodes begin to appear on the varicose veins. Such nodes do not cause much discomfort; they may only occasionally hurt a little. Next, there is an increase in the dilated deep veins of the lower extremities.
The constant development of varicose veins leads to stage 3 development of the disease. It manifests itself in the form of constant swelling of the legs and heaviness in the limbs. The skin darkens in the ankle area. Varicose veins of the 3rd degree are often accompanied by various skin inflammations, eczema, and thrombophlebitis. With a severely advanced disease, trophic ulcers form.
About 1/4 of women who have varicose veins of the lower extremities suffer from thrombophlebitis. It occurs as a result of slow blood flow. Most often, development occurs in large nodes. The formation of a blood clot occurs as a result of any action that increases blood clotting. Such actions include hypothermia or overheating of blood vessels, various injuries, abrasions, colds, pregnancy, etc.
The most difficult stage of thrombophlebitis is the development of deep vein thrombosis. In this case, the clot can break off and, moving with the blood flow, enter the heart or pulmonary artery. This condition is very dangerous and often ends in death.
With increased disruption of blood flow, a varicose trophic ulcer develops. Such a wound occurs only in the last, most advanced stages of the disease. In this case, women experience severe pain. It is worth noting that a trophic ulcer requires long-term treatment, but even after healing, it may reappear. Every 5 women suffering from varicose veins can boast of such a disease.
Another disease that develops against the background of VBNK is varicose eczema, or stasis dermatitis. It develops at the site of node formation. In these areas, the skin first acquires a bluish tint and then turns brown. At the same time, the skin becomes thinner and often begins to itch and itch. As a result of strong scratching until it bleeds, infection occurs, which leads to inflammation and the development of dermatitis.
Varicose eczema occurs at stage 2 of the disease. Next, trophic ulcers appear, and then venous ulcers. Ulcers develop already at the 3rd (final) stage.
If we consider all 3 stages of varicose veins, it is worth noting that at stage 1 a woman can do normal work and walk without compression garments. At 2, blood clots and eczema begin to form. In this case, it is necessary to limit the load, use special tights, stockings and bandages.
At the last stage, the development of venous and trophic ulcers occurs. In this case, the woman is recognized as completely unable to work, and disability is registered.
Thus, if varicose veins are not treated, you can not only become disabled, but also provoke a blood clot, which will lead to death.
This is why the disease cannot be started. At the first signs, you should visit a phlebologist and begin treatment. The specialist will make a diagnosis and select the necessary medications and give recommendations. Modern medicine offers various ways to get rid of such a disease as deep vein varicose veins.
If a woman is at risk of developing varicose veins, prevention is important in preventing the development of the disease. When working sedentarily, you should take breaks and walk periodically. You definitely need to spend time playing sports and doing light exercise. Women should not carry heavy bags.
If work, on the contrary, requires constant standing on your feet, you should periodically walk and wiggle your toes. In the evening, it is recommended to lie down on the bed and place a pillow under your feet. This helps drain excess blood from the lower legs.
You should not wear high heels. The best option is a heel 2-4 cm high.
If you are overweight, you need to go on a diet. The diet involves excluding fatty, salty, fried, and sweet foods from the diet. In addition, it is recommended that everyone, without exception, consume foods rich in vitamin C and fiber, which help in the treatment of deep vein varicose veins.
At stages 1 and 2, it is recommended to wear compression garments. It provides an even load and treats varicose veins.
A contrast shower has a good effect on the veins. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out this procedure before going to bed. After it, the affected areas can be treated with special ointments or creams that treat internal varicose veins on the right or left leg.
Thus, varicose veins are a dangerous disease. Therefore, it needs to be treated at the initial stage. It is then that you will be able to get rid of the disease in a short time and with minimal losses to your health.
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Pancreatitis is an inflammatory process that affects the pancreas. The gland is located on the left side of the body behind the stomach. This small organ plays an exceptional role in the life of the body. It not only secretes digestive enzymes that enter the duodenum through the duct, but also releases the hormone insulin, which is involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, into the blood. Inflammation of the gland occurs due to the fact that enzymes, for some reason not reaching the intestines, begin to digest the cells of the organ itself.
Obviously, pancreatitis is very dangerous and threatens with disastrous consequences. What exact consequences does it lead to, and how likely is damage to other organs? The disease can occur in different ways, and then they speak of either an acute or chronic course.
In acute pancreatitis, the inflammatory process is extremely dangerous, as it occurs very quickly. If you do not have time to help the patient, this disease leads to death. Active enzymes not only digest gland tissue, but also corrode the walls of blood vessels, end up in the blood and travel through the bloodstream to other organs, damaging them. This leads to the development of cardiac, respiratory or renal failure. In the stomach, damage to the walls is possible, which causes bleeding and the formation of fistulas. The putrefactive process in dead tissue is dangerous and threatens to lead to sepsis. In some cases, pancreatitis leads to changes in the structure of the brain. Lack of insulin results in diabetes mellitus.
How dangerous is chronic pancreatitis? Inflammation in this form does not develop as quickly as in acute pancreatitis, but the destruction of pancreatic tissue occurs continuously. This leads to various complications.
Constant bleeding due to collapsing blood vessels causes anemia and a drop in pressure in the body. Chronic inflammation is also dangerous because it increases the risk of developing cancerous tumors. The glandular tissue is replaced by connective tissue, which leads to the formation of pseudocysts and seriously disrupts the digestion process. Chronic pancreatitis leads to a decrease in immunity, and a poorly protected body becomes defenseless against various infections.
From all that has been said, we can conclude how serious the danger this disease poses. The consequences are the most dire. But they can be avoided if you follow disease prevention measures, if necessary, consult a doctor on time and follow all his recommendations.
Any changes in the balance of electrolytes in the body lead to pathological consequences. They must be taken into account when prescribing treatment. Hyperkalemia is a metabolic disorder caused by exceeding the normal concentration of potassium salts in human blood.
Potassium ions are positively charged and are in equilibrium with other electrolytes inside cells. Enter the human body with food. Excess is excreted by the kidneys. A condition such as hyperkalemia is possible only with the artificial formation of a significant amount of electrolytes or with the inability of the kidneys to remove accumulated potassium in the urine.
The International Statistical Classification (ICD-10) included the pathology in the subgroup of disorders of water-salt metabolism with code E 87.5. At the same time, this also includes conditions that cause changes in acid-base balance.
The causes of hyperkalemia are most often associated with improper electrolyte distribution (leave from cells into the extracellular space) or its accumulation.
Loss of potassium by cellular elements of the blood (leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets) is observed with high leukocytosis, destruction of erythrocytes and platelets. Such hyperkalemia is called “false” because in other tissues the intracellular concentration does not change.
The mechanism of electrolyte redistribution from the cell to the extracellular space is typical for:
The excretory capacity of the kidneys directly depends on:
These components determine the required glomerular filtration rate.
Potassium accumulation begins when the rate decreases to 10-15 ml per minute (normally from 80 to 120) or urine output drops per day to less than a liter
Similar conditions occur in kidney failure caused by inflammatory and other diseases.
There is also a mechanism for blocking potassium release through the connection between renin and aldosterone. The fact is that aldosterone synthesis is activated by the hormone renin. A decrease in its amount automatically leads to hypoaldosteronism (Addison's disease). Similar conditions are caused by drugs (Indomethacin, Captopril), especially in older people and patients with diabetes.
The “renin” variant of kidney pathology is also characteristic of chronic nephritis, mechanical damage, diabetes mellitus, and sickle cell anemia.
Other drugs that affect the excretion of potassium by the kidneys include:
Defective tubular filtration in acute renal failure is associated with direct damage (necrosis) and leads to rapid hyperkalemia.
Mineralocorticoid deficiency (hypoaldosteronism) may be primary due to damage to the adrenal glands or the result of a hereditary disorder of hormone synthesis (with adrenogenital syndrome, congenital deficiency of the hydrolase enzyme).
Hyperkalemia contributes to the development of metabolic acidosis. With an increase in potassium content, the formation of ammonia in the renal nephrons is inhibited, and at the same time, due to the low level of aldosterone, hydrogen ions are retained.
The type of acidosis is called hyperchloremic, since the concentration of chlorine simultaneously increases. Similar changes underlie renal hypertension. Therefore, a combination of hypertension and an increase in potassium levels is often observed.
The established mechanisms of impaired potassium excretion are associated with the effects of drugs on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
Diseases such as nephropathy associated with kidney compression, sickle cell anemia, post-transplant condition, systemic lupus erythematosus cause a defect in the structure of the tubules, the release of potassium is delayed. Patients react poorly to the administration of Furosemide and Potassium chloride.
Symptoms of hyperkalemia are caused by impaired transmission of nerve impulses to muscle tissue and changes in the properties of the myocardium (excitability and contractility).
Weakness increases to the point of paralysis
A patient with other chronic diseases complains of:
Prolonged hyperkalemia leads a person to exhaustion.
In children, symptoms of hyperkalemia include:
It has been established that signs of hyperkalemia begin to appear in an adult at a plasma potassium concentration of 5–5.5 mmol/l. Less commonly, there are no symptoms.
For newborns, hyperkalemia is considered to be a serum element level of more than 6-7 mmol/l, and at the age of one month and older - 5.8-6 mmol/l. The factors causing hyperkalemia in children are no different from adults. But a physiological feature should be noted: in a child, excess potassium is excreted much more slowly due to kidney failure. It begins to be excreted in isolation (without sodium) only at the age of ten.
Peripheral paralysis may begin with attacks of muscle weakness and progress further. Similar phenomena are observed in the neurological hereditary disease - familial intermittent paralysis.
The cardiotoxic effect of potassium is expressed in rhythm and conduction disturbances
The ECG reveals different variants of the disturbed rhythm: from supraventricular tachycardia to ventricular fibrillation. Blockades at the level of atrioventricular conduction and dissociation of atrial and ventricular contractions are possible. The importance of hyperkalemia in the occurrence of asystole has been established.
Specific manifestations on the ECG are:
Clinical studies have found that nodal and ventricular arrhythmias begin at calcium levels above 6.5 mmol/L.
Indirect signs may be:
Ultrasound of the kidneys helps to exclude compression of the organ and identify urolithiasis and tumors.
Treatment of hyperkalemia is based on the degree of increase in potassium levels and clinical manifestations.
Mild signs include: plasma potassium levels of 5 to 6 mEq/L with no changes on the ECG. In therapy it is enough:
Sodium polystyrene sulfonate dissolved in sorbitol is recommended. It is a cation exchange resin that binds and removes potassium through intestinal mucus. It is prescribed orally or as an enema. The method is convenient in the treatment of hyperkalemia in children and patients with stomach diseases. The negative effect is an increase in sodium, since potassium is exchanged for sodium.
What foods reduce potassium?
The diet must include:
Pasta and rice cereals have beneficial effects. It is recommended to add alfalfa sprouts to the salad.
It is not recommended to prepare quick meals from packages. They necessarily contain potassium chloride as a salt substitute.
To reduce the potassium content in vegetables, you can boil them; some of the potassium salts leave with the drained water.
You should limit your consumption of foods that contain high potassium content. These include:
Infants are fed with special mixtures and food adjustments for the nursing mother.
Detection of more than 6 mmol/l potassium in the plasma, combined with characteristic ECG changes, requires enhanced urgent therapy to move this electrolyte inside the cells. To do this, a solution of calcium gluconate is injected slowly intravenously by drip, which reduces the toxic effect of potassium on the myocardium and calms ectopic foci of excitability. Calcium supplements should be used with caution in patients taking cardiac glycosides. It can be replaced with calcium chloride, but this drug is more difficult to tolerate by patients.
Insulin in a dose of 5-10 units with the simultaneous administration of a 50% solution of glucose or dextrose allows you to reduce the potassium level after an hour to the maximum possible. The effect will last for several hours. A solution of sugars is necessary to prevent hypoglycemia.
Albuterol is inhaled (5 mg per mL) and has been shown to safely reduce potassium levels by 20% when inhaled for 10 minutes. The maximum effect occurs after 1.5 hours.
To remove excess potassium from the body in the treatment of severe hyperkalemia, polystyrene sulfonate is used orally or in enemas. In case of renal failure, all the described measures are not enough; hemodialysis should be started as soon as possible. Attempts to use peritoneal dialysis were ineffective.
To correct acidosis accompanying hyperkalemia, drip administration of sodium bicarbonate solution is indicated.
The state of hyperkalemia always accompanies some diseases. Their quick diagnosis helps in treatment and prevents fluctuations in potassium levels in the body.