Hydrostatic pressure pushes water out of openings in a reservoir.
Hydrostatic pressure is the force that fluid molecules exert on each other due to the Earth’s gravitational pull. This force occurs whether the fluid is in motion or completely stopped, and it forces fluids forward or outward when they meet an area of least resistance. It is this energy that expels water through a hole in a paper cup, gas through a leak in a pipe, and blood from the vessels into the surrounding tissues.
An individual’s colloid osmotic pressure can be measured to diagnose pulmonary edema.
Increasing elevation increases the amount of hydrostatic pressure. Fluid flowing down the slope also increases pressure, causing the water flowing through the waterfalls to flow faster than the water flowing down the stream to the waterfall. Temperature is another factor that affects pressure because when the temperature increases, the molecules move at a faster rate, increasing the pressure.
Hydrostatic pressure can cause blood pressure to drop.
Industries often use hydrostatic pressure test methods to ensure fluids remain in contained environments. The tests not only ensure that pipes and other types of containers are leak-free, but also verify that the materials can withstand the increased pressure of potential environmental changes. It is not uncommon for companies to exert internal forces 150 times greater than normal while monitoring pressure changes with instrumentation.
Increasing elevation increases the amount of hydrostatic pressure.
Blood vessels have a unique way of maintaining proper pressure throughout the body. Arterial capillary hydrostatic pressure normally measures 35 millimeters of mercury, or 35 mm Hg. Venous capillary pressure normally measures 15 mm Hg. The force behind the heart’s contractions, along with gravity pulling blood away from the heart, causes pressure to increase. The porous nature of the venous capillaries also reduces the pressure of the flowing blood.
Blood vessels have a unique way of maintaining proper pressure throughout the body.
The liquid constituents of the blood naturally flow through the pores into the interstitial tissues due to this pressure, leaving behind lipids, proteins, and particles that are too large to escape. This normally reduces venous pressure. On the other hand, increased pressure within the tissues exerts a force back toward the capillaries, which is called hydrostatic osmotic pressure. While osmotic pressure pushes fluids into capillary pores, electrical charges from solids within the vessel cause molecules to stick together as they flow through the blood. This reaction is called the Gibbs-Donnan effect.
Osmotic pressure and the Gibbs-Donnan effect working together draw fluid from the interstitial tissues into the plasma, which is known as colloid osmotic pressure. When the body detects an abnormally low amount of venous pressure, the arteries usually compensate by constricting. When vascular injury occurs, the plasma contains an insufficient amount of solids or blood pressure decreases and edema or swelling occurs.