10 Causes of Pleural Effusion
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Cause #6: Hypoalbuminemia
Our blood does a superb job of transporting nutrients, oxygen, and much-needed fluids around the body. Our blood vessels need to make sure that fluids and other nutrients remain in the bloodstream until they reach their desired location. There are numerous systems and compounds that allow this to happen.
One such compound is albumin, which is produced in the liver. It helps to maintain the osmotic pressure of the bloodstream, preventing fluids from leaking into bodily tissues. A lack of albumin in the bloodstream is known as hypoalbuminemia and it can lead to fluids leaking into the linings of the lungs, causing pleural effusion.
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