What is the Ammonia blood test?
Ammonia (NH3) is a waste product naturally produced in the body. It primarily comes from the digestion of protein by bacteria in the intestines. If not processed by the liver and cleared from the body appropriately, excess ammonia can accumulate in the blood and pass from the blood into the brain, where it is toxic.
What does it mean if your Ammonia result is too low?
Conditions associated with “low” ammonia levels include the following:
– Hypertension
– Associated with some antibiotics
What does it mean if your Ammonia result is too high?
– Inherited urea cycle defect
– Hemolytic disease in infants
“High” ammonia levels when combined with decreased glucose levels include the following:
– Reye syndrome
– Liver or kidney damage
– Hepatic encephalopathy
Other states associated that can affect ammonia levels include the following:
– Severe gastrointestinal bleeding
– Muscle activity
– Excessive tourniquet use to collect blood samples
Drugs that can increase ammonia levels include the following:
– Alcohol
– Barbiturates
– Diuretics
– Valproate
– Narcotics
– Smoking
Make sure to track your Ammonia levels in your blood @ HealthMatters.io.
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