Ammonia

Ammonia, Plasma blood test is used to measure levels of ammonia to assess liver function. Symptoms of excess ammonia include constant fatigue/tiredness, confusion or hand tremors.Ammonia is one of the by-products of protein metabolism. Elevated blood ammonia levels have been associated with severe liver dysfunction such as hepatic encephalopathy, coma resulting from cirrhosis, severe hepatitis, Reye`s syndrome and drug hepatotoxicity. Also, elevated blood ammonia has been reported in cardiac failure, azotemia, and pulmonary emphysema. Correlation between plasma ammonia and the degree of encephalopathy can be erratic.

Higher Ammonia level may be the indicator of Liver Disease, Urinary Tract Infection,Reye Syndrome,Inborn metabolism errors including deficiency of enzymes in the urea cycle,HHH Syndrome (hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria, hyperornithinemia),Total Parenteral Nutrition,Ureterosigmoidostomy,Sodium Valproate Therapy.

It’s a simple blood test that lets your doctor measure how much ammonia is in your blood. Bacteria in your gut and in your cells create ammonia when your body breaks down protein.Ammonia is a waste product. Your liver turns ammonia into a chemical called urea. This chemical is water-soluble, that means it dissolves in water. It leaves your body in your urine. But if you have certain health conditions, like kidney or liver failure, your body can’t make or get rid of urea. In either case, ammonia builds up. This can cause a number of problems, like confusion, extreme tiredness, and in some cases, coma or even death.