effects of excess ammonia in the body
Biochemical reactions in your body rapidly convert ammonia into less harmful molecules under normal conditions. Liver disease can cause ammonia levels to build up in your body. Your brain is normally protected from the low levels of ammonia in your body by the blood-brain barrier. Liver disfunction can cause ammonia levels to build up in your brain causing permanent brain damage, a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy.
Ammonia is a normal by-product of processing nitrogen in the body, and is excreted as waste in the urine, in healthy people. However, elevated blood ammonia levels can occur when the kidneys or liver are not working properly, allowing this waste to remain in the bloodstream, which can be poisonous to your cells.