If your doctor gives you a blood test and tells you to check your ammonia levels, you might be a little nervous. "What is this ammonia? Why is it in my body?" You might be wondering. Don't worry. Okay, so today we'll talk about this ammonia test in simple terms.
Simply put, ammonia is a waste product that is produced when our bodies break down protein. When the protein-rich foods we eat, such as meat, fish, eggs, and lentils, are converted into energy, ammonia is produced as a byproduct in that process. Since this is a waste product, it needs to be removed from the body. This important job is done by our liver. The liver converts this ammonia into a harmless chemical called "urea." Since urea is water-soluble, it travels through the blood to the kidneys and is excreted in the urine.
But imagine that your liver or kidneys have some kind of disease or weakness. Then what happens is that this ammonia cannot be converted into urea, or the urea formed cannot be excreted from the body. Either way, ammonia starts to accumulate in the body, especially in the blood. This increase in ammonia levels in the blood is dangerous . It can cause mental confusion, excessive fatigue, and loss of consciousness. Sometimes it can lead to a coma, or even death.
Why do you need to do this ammonia test?
Usually, a doctor only orders this test if they see certain symptoms. This is not a test that is done for everyone.
Imagine, if someone in your family suddenly starts to panic, get confused, or lose consciousness for no reason, the doctor might decide to check the ammonia level. Because these are changes in the nervous system.
This is a little different in the case of young children and babies.
| Who needs the test? | Symptoms that can be seen |
|---|---|
| Newborn babies (within the first few days after birth) |
|
| Toddlers and young children | If the doctor suspects two medical conditions, he or she may refer you for this test: 1. Reye's syndrome: This is a rare but dangerous disease. It affects the liver and brain. It has been linked to aspirin, especially in young children. 2. Urea cycle disorder: This is a genetic disease. The body does not properly remove waste products (ammonia) produced by the breakdown of protein. |
| Adults |
|
How do you do this test?
This is very simple. You just take a small sample of blood from a vein in your arm. Sometimes, blood is taken from an artery instead of a vein, but that's very rare. Someone in the lab will do this carefully.
Do you need to prepare before the test?
Yes, a little preparation is needed.
- Avoid exercising before the test.
- If you smoke, you should also stop before the test .
- The most important thing is to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, not just vitamins, herbal products, and supplements, but even over-the-counter medications (like aspirin) . Some medications can affect the results of the report.
What does the investigation report say?
High blood ammonia levels can be a sign of liver or kidney disease. However, it is not always caused by disease . High ammonia levels can be caused by other factors.
- Internal bleeding in the digestive tract (intestines, stomach) or elsewhere in the body.
- Alcohol and drug use , especially the use of diuretics.
- Smoking .
- Exercise shortly before the test, as ammonia is produced when muscles are working.
- If the tourniquet is kept on for too long when taking blood.
Sometimes ammonia levels can be low, which can be caused by sudden high blood pressure.
The important thing is that just because your test result is high or low, it doesn't mean you have a disease. Sometimes, things like how the blood sample was taken and how the test was performed in the lab can affect the result.
Therefore, never draw conclusions from the report alone . Only your doctor can explain the true meaning of the values in it in relation to your health condition.
Take-Home Message
- Ammonia is a waste product produced during the burning of protein and must be eliminated from the body.
- A healthy liver performs the main function of removing these waste products.
- Elevated levels of ammonia in the blood can be harmful to the brain and nervous system.
- This test is important in cases of sudden memory loss and certain symptoms in newborns and young children.
- In addition to liver/kidney disease, other causes can also contribute to elevated ammonia levels.
- Most importantly: Always discuss your test results only with your doctor.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න