by 3 hours ago
-
<div class="section1">Before treatment can begin, a doctor must determine whether a patient's symptoms are due to overhydration, in which excess water is found within and outside cells, or excess blood volume, in which high sodium levels prevent the body from storing excess water inside the cells. Overhydration is characterized by excess water both within and around the body's cells, while excess blood volume occurs when the body has too much sodium and can't move water to reservoirs within the cells. In cases of overhydration, symptoms of fluid accumulation don't usually occur. On the other hand, in cases of excess blood volume, fluid tends to accumulate around cells in the lower legs, abdomen, and chest. Overhydration can occur alone or in conjunction with excess blood volume, and differentiating between these two conditions may be difficult.
Source: The Gale Group. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed.";
