Chloride

Chloride is a type of electrolyte required by your body for proper functioning. Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals to help control the fluid balance and acid-base balance in your body. Chloride is a negatively charged ion, which forms an important part of your body’s essential electrolytes. The four electrolytes sodium, potassium, bicarbonate and chloride work together to regulate the fluid balance in your body and maintain the acid-base balance. Chloride levels are usually measured along with other electrolytes in the body like sodium, potassium and bicarbonate to diagnose your medical condition or track the prognosis of your illness. When your chloride levels drop, you may become sick and dehydrated. If your chloride levels go higher, your kidneys may not be functioning adequately. The diseases related to levels of chloride include kidney disease, high blood pressure and liver disease. Chloride is present in all body fluids. This electrolyte is present in the highest concentrations in blood and the fluid outside your body’s cells. Sodium and chloride go hand-in-hand and often mimic each other’s concentrations in the blood. Both these electrolytes increase and decrease due to similar causes. Chloride helps maintain electrical neutrality at the cellular level by in and out of the cells whenever needed. Chloride is consumed through your daily diet and table salt. Most of the chloride from the food gets absorbed in the digestive tract and the excess of chloride is eliminated in urine. The blood levels of chloride usually remain steady, with a slight decrease in the levels after meals. This is because your stomach produces acids after you eat and uses the chloride from the blood. The Chloride Test measures the levels of chloride in the blood and occasionally urine as well. It is often measured along with other electrolytes when you need to get a full blood workup of all your electrolytes. The Chloride Test is used for the diagnosis of the causes of the signs and symptoms like diarrhoea, prolonged vomiting, weakness, fatigue and difficulty in breathing. If your doctor suspects an electrolyte imbalance, then you may be advised a series of electrolyte tests to diagnose and monitor your condition. If your doctor suspects an acid-base imbalance, then you may be advised a series of tests for blood gases to diagnose and monitor the cause of the imbalance. The Chloride Test is also done when there may be suspected acidosis or alkalosis. Studies show that electrolyte imbalance is markedly present in patients with uncontrolled blood sugar levels or diabetes. Therefore, the Chloride Test helps as a predictor and should be routinely measured in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.