Definition of Fluid imbalance:

A fluid imbalance refers to an abnormal level of fluids in the body.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Your body is constantly losing fluids through breathing, sweating, and urinating. If you do not take in enough fluids, you may become dehydrated.

Your body may also have a hard time getting rid of fluids, allowing excess fluid to build up. This is called fluid overload.

Many illnesses can cause fluid imbalance:

• It is common to retain large amounts of fluid for several days after surgery (causing swelling of the body).
• In heart failure, fluid collects in the lungs, liver, blood vessels, and body tissues because the heart does a poor job of pumping it to the kidneys where it can be eliminated.
• When the kidneys do not work well because of chronic kidney disease, the body cannot get rid of unneeded fluids.
• The body may lose too much fluid due to diarrhea, vomiting, excessive blood loss, or high fever.

A fluid imbalance is often associated with imbalances of sodium, potassium (see: hyponatremia, hypokalemia, and hyperkalemia) and other chemicals that help regulate body fluids.