# Body Fluids --- **Body fluids** are the various fluids inside your body. About 50-70% of an adults weight is made up of various fluids. Maintaining a proper amount and [[fluid volume balance|balance]] of these fluids is very important to our overall health and highly controlled. Additionally, various fluids have various [[electrolytes]] associated with them and their [[osmosis|osmolarity]] is vital to maintaining cell health. The functions of the body fluids are necessary for life. - [[blood volume]], which determines [[blood pressure]] - [[homeostasis]] - [[thermoregulation]] - facilitating [[membrane transport]] - ions/[[electrolytes]] - [[osmosis|osmolarity]] - maintains neuromuscular function in particular - cell [[metabolism]] ![[body fluids.png]] Body fluids can be typically broken down into two broad categories, Intercellular, and extracellular. Extracellular fluid can be broken down into interstitial fluid, plasma and transcellular fluid. - **Intracellular fluid** is fluid that is inside the cells themselves, which is also called the [[cytoplasm]]. - **Extracellular fluid** is all the fluid that that is not inside the cell itself, but in the surrounding area. It comes in two categories: - **Interstitial fluid** is the fluid that flows in the surrounding tissue, that is outside by the circulatory and lymphatic systems and the actual cell walls. About 2/3s of extracellular fluid is interstitial fluid. - **Intravascular fluid**, often just referred to as [[plasma]] is the fluid in the [[blood|bloodstream]] and the [[lymphatic system|lymph]]. About 1/3 of extracellular fluid is intravascular fluid. - **Transcellular fluid** is fluid that is outside of a cell, but contained within something else. For example: - [[cerebrospinal fluid]] - [[synovial joint|synovial fluid]] - [[eyes|aqueous humor]] - [[serous membrane|serous fluid]] - [[gastric gland|gastric juices]] - [[urine]] - perilymph and endolymph in the [[ears|inner ear]] Example of compartmentalization of the total body fluids of an average 70 kg male. ![[body fluid percentages.png]] ## Factors that Alter Body Fluids - [[adipose tissue]] has a low water content - a lot of adipose tissue will be a dryer person - [[muscle tissue]] has a high water content - a lot of muscle tissue will be a wetter person - sex - AFAB typically have a lower percentage (50% vs 60%) - age - [[pediatrics]] - babies have a great need and they're about 80% water and they can dry out very quickly - higher body surface area to mass ratio is great, so insensible losses through the skin can be high, especially if they have a fever - their [[kidneys]] are immature and cannot adjust well - they cannot communicate thirst - [[older adult]] - have decreased [[hypothalamus|thirst drive]] - may have mobility issues preventing access - may struggle with incontinence and decide not to drink as much - decreased muscle mass - altered nutritional intake - reduced [[kidneys|kidney function]] - often on meds like [[diuretics]] - lower [[cardiac reserve]] - thinner skin causes more insensible loss via skin Dehydration signs and symptoms altered mental status delirium not enough water [[fluid volume deficit]] [[dehydration]] is a particular type of FVD for water specifically too much water [[fluid volume excess]] ## Problems with Fluid Volume - [[fluid volume excess]] - [[fluid volume deficit]] IMBALANCES third spacing like [[ascites]] [[anasarca]] is generalized swelling everywhere ___