Using Diuretics to Treat Brain Injuries
During the past few decades, there has been a lot of research into the treatment of TBIs. Even though this research has yielded a lot of new information regarding the treatment of head injuries, countless people in this country still suffer neurological damage every year. Despite these new treatments, head injuries can still lead to lifelong complications.
To avoid these complications, it is crucial to treat TBIs as quickly as possible. The treatment of a brain injury may involve emergency surgery, antibiotics, IV fluids, and medications. One of the most essential medications is called a diuretic. Everyone must understand how diuretics work and why they matter for people who have been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.
What are Diuretics?
Diuretics are a class of medication used to relieve fluid buildup throughout the body. These drugs are designed to work in the kidneys. The kidneys control the exit of water and ions (such as sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate) from the body. The kidneys use a series of filters to make sure water balance and ion concentrations stay within a healthy range.
There are situations where people might need to reduce the amount of fluid in their body quickly. This is where diuretics are important. These drugs act on the filters located in the kidneys, preventing water from being reabsorbed. As a result, more water reaches the bladder, where it is excreted as urine. Therefore, diuretics can be used to increase the amount of fluid that is released from the body, impacting pressure in the blood and the skull.
The Treatment of a Brain Injury
When someone has been diagnosed with a TBI, it is crucial to control the pressure inside the skull. Like other parts of the body, the brain will start to swell if it is injured. Unfortunately, the brain is trapped within the skull, which is a closed space. As a result, the pressure within the skull will start to increase as the brain swells. This pressure increase can have deadly consequences.
One of the ways to lower the pressure inside the skull is to reduce the fluid around the brain. This is where diuretics are used. When these medications are administered, the body will excrete a fluid from multiple areas of the body, including the brain. Drawing fluid out of the skull and into the bladder may help save someone’s life following a head injury. As the fluid is withdrawn from the skull, the intracranial pressure will drop. This can prevent a brain herniation from occurring.
The Potential Side Effects
While these medications might save someone’s life, there are side effects that people need to know. One of the main side effects is dehydration. This makes sense, as a diuretic is used to augment fluid excretion in the form of increased urine output. Therefore, when taking a diuretic, everyone needs to drink enough water to keep up with the increased urine output.
Other side effects of diuretics have to do with derangements of ion concentrations in the bloodstream. These medications alter not only the excretion of water but also ions as well. Sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate all play important roles throughout the body. These medications can alter the excretion and reabsorption of these ions, leading to severe problems. Therefore, everyone taking these medications must follow the detailed instructions of their doctor.
Watch YouTube Video: Usage, Side Effects of Diuretics – Water Pill. This short animated video discusses some of the side effects of taking diuretics.
Yuba City Brain Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Yuba City Brain Injury Lawyer. Diuretics play a vital role in the treatment of a traumatic brain injury. If someone you care about has suffered a severe brain injury due to the negligence of another person, call me for free, friendly advice at (530) 392-9400 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
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Attribution of Images: The picture used at the top of this post was located first at Pixabay.com. The photograph has been reproduced at this site with the instruction of the Creative Commons License.
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