Diuretics

USES OF DIURETICS

Course: SBI4U.-03
Date: January 15 2013
Teacher: Ms. McCann
Name: Ivan Martinez

Uses of diuretics

Diuretics are prescribed when the body have problems with theregulation of the water, and there are many different types of diuretics that can help to encourage the urination rate and also they can help to decrease the blood pressure in the vessels walls.

Types ofdiuretics and where they work:

loop diuretics- reduce the content of sodium and chloride in the blood, and help with blood circulation - Loop of Henle


Thiazides- they help to lowthe blood pressure and to fight the water retention in lungs. - Distal convoluted tubule


Osmotic diuretics- increases the urine rate by increasing the levels of sugar in the blood and thefluids absorption in the kidneys.


Potassium sparring diuretics- help to increase the urine rate and the elimination of potassium ions.

People worry about whether or not a substancethey are consuming is a diuretic because the use of diuretics could cause serious health problems such as dehydration leading to hypovolemia that is the excessive loss of fluids and blood causingimportant organs from the body to stop working, can also cause the amount of electrolytes in the blood and body fluids to drop causing hypokalemia in the case that potassium is low, or hyponatremia in thecase that sodium is low; also if the H ions concentration drops it could lead to metabolic alkalosis.

Medical use:
Diuretics are really helpful to treat poisoning or in case of an overdose of amedication, they are also helpful to treat edemas, cirrhosis, kidney failure (by stimulating or inhibiting hormones that coordinate the urine production) and hypertension.

Personal opinion:
Ithink people should be aware of the bad use of the diuretics, because they could cause intestinal and blood problems among other things, and also that nutritionists should warn their patients about that...