Uremia - what is it? If you do not know the answer to the question posed, then the presented article is intended for you.
In addition to finding out what uremia is, we will tell you about what symptoms are manifested in the named disease, what are the causes of its occurrence and the principles of treatment. You will also be presented with a detailed diet of those people who have the mentioned disease.
General information about kidney disease
Uremia is a kind of autointoxication syndrome that actively develops in renal failure. As a rule, this occurs as a result of the retention of toxic and other substances, including nitrogenous metabolites, in the human body.
"Uremia" is a word that came to medicine from the Greek language (uraemia), which is divided into parts: uron, that is, "urine", and haima, that is, "blood". A synonym for this term is "urinary blood".
Uremia: the causes of the disease
There are many causes of this disease. It can be kidney failure (acute), which occurs due to shock, circulatory system disorders, as well as injuries, frostbite, severe burnsor poisoning. Uremia also occurs as a result of a disorder of acid-base, water-s alt and osmotic homeostasis, accompanied by secondary hormonal and metabolic disorders, dysfunction of all systems, organs and general tissue dystrophy.
In most cases, acute renal failure is reversible. Most often, it occurs abruptly. In this case, the disease is accompanied by sudden anuria or oliguria, in which the bladder is filled slightly or no urine enters it at all.
The most common cause of uremia is self-poisoning of the body by such nitrogenous compounds as uric acid, urea, indican and creatinine. In addition, this disease can manifest itself due to acidosis and changes in the electrolyte balance in the human body.
What are the forms of uremia?
Diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract can occur in chronic and acute forms. Chronic uremia, unlike acute, develops very slowly. Often it becomes a consequence of the processes of (irreversible) extinction of the parenchymal tissues of the kidneys.
It should be noted that nephrosclerosis, which underlies the development of chronic renal failure, is also often the cause of uremia. In addition, this disease can also begin against the background of blockage of the kidney vessels, chronic nephritis and obstruction of the urinary tract, which are blocked by an overgrown tumor or stone.
Kidney disease leading to CRF
To kidney diseases thatbecome a common cause of chronic renal failure, often referred to as:
- pyelonephritis;
- glomerulonephritis;
- congenital nephritis;
- formation of many cysts in the kidneys;
- kidney stone disease.
Uraemia can also be caused by diabetes mellitus or prostate adenoma.
Kidney disease: symptoms and treatment
Symptoms of uremia may appear gradually and be accompanied by increasing intoxication of the body. Such signs are quite difficult to recognize if you do not have basic medical knowledge.
So what are the symptoms of kidney disease in women, men and children indicate a violation in their activities? We will tell you about it right now.
Main symptoms of the disease
As a rule, inflammatory diseases of the kidneys are accompanied by volumetric excretion of almost white urine. At the same time, urine has a low specific gravity. It should also be noted that large diuresis is often accompanied by a retention of urea and chlorides, released in small quantities.
As the disease progresses, the volume of urine may decrease, and nitrogenous metabolic products can accumulate in the body, increasing their concentration in the blood.
For several weeks, the patient usually has a pre-coma. Subsequently, it can easily cause uremic coma. Its first harbingers are violations of the digestive tract. So, the patient's appetite decreases, and later he completely refuses food and drink. Urea accumulates in the patient's saliva. This has a direct effect on the appearance of bitterness in the mouth. Further, urea is broken down by oral bacteria, resulting in the release of ammonia. It is he who causes the unpleasant odor.
How to recognize the disease?
As mentioned above, kidney disease (symptoms and treatment are detailed in this article) is easy to identify by problems with the digestive tract. Accumulating in gastric juice, urea causes uremic colitis and gastritis. So, vomiting after eating, nausea, diarrhea mixed with blood join the symptoms of the disease.
Among other things, kidney disease in men, women and children is accompanied by disorders of the central nervous system. The patient may experience weakness and apathy, get tired quickly. The patient often feels stiffness in movements, he is constantly sleepy, and his head seems incredibly heavy.
As the disease progresses, the desire to sleep begins to be combined with insomnia. Against this background, confusion occurs, eye and other muscles twitch.
Signs of uremic coma
This condition can be identified by certain respiratory movements. So, the patient begins to breathe very noisily, occasionally taking deep breaths, and then a short exhalation.
After the onset of the terminal phase, breathing may periodically disappear completely. This is due to a decrease in the excitability of the respiratory center.
Body temperature in patients withsuch a problem almost never rises above 35 degrees. Also, symptoms of uremia often appear on the skin. Standing out through the integument, urea and other toxins cause itching, inflammation, dryness, trophic ulcers and leave a white coating.
Treatment process
Any kidney disease in children and adults should be treated immediately. After all, in the future they can lead to complications and even death.
Emergency therapy during uremia includes measures that are aimed at preventing subsequent intoxication of the body. At the same time, nitrogenous slags are removed from the intestines and stomach by washing them with saline solutions, taking laxatives, setting enemas, etc.
How to eat?
Proper nutrition in kidney disease is of the utmost importance. This is due to the fact that, along with food, unnecessary substances enter the human body, which can significantly worsen the already difficult condition of the patient.
So what should be the diet for kidney disease? When diagnosing the mentioned disease, doctors are obliged to prescribe a special diet to their patient. As a rule, it consists in significantly reducing the amount of protein intake. To do this, it is recommended to exclude meat and dairy products from your diet. Although some experts still advise leaving some of them, since proteins are very important for the human body (especially growing ones).
Uremic treatments
Now you know what food should bewith kidney disease. However, it is not enough just to choose the right diet to alleviate the patient's condition and save him from the aforementioned ailment. That is why doctors additionally prescribe appropriate medications. So, patients with uremia are often injected into a vein with about 50 ml of 40% glucose. In order to significantly reduce the concentration of toxic substances in the blood, as well as lower blood pressure, bloodletting is often performed in the treatment of the above-mentioned ailment (up to about 400 ml of blood).
To restore the amount of chlorine and other minerals that are excreted from the human body along with vomit and loose stools, they are restored by intravenous administration of sodium chloride (about 20 ml of a 10% solution). In addition, ordinary table s alt can be additionally added to the patient's food.
If such a deviation as heart failure joins the main symptoms of kidney disease (uremia), then the patient is prescribed a solution of the drug "Strophanthin". Skin itching, which is inherent in this disease, is removed with sodium bromide. As for muscle cramps and their twitches, calcium chloride is used to get rid of them.
If a patient develops a uremic coma, it should only be treated in a hospital. For this patient, it is necessary to be hospitalized immediately at the first symptoms.
Disease prevention
In preventing the development of the presented disease, the issue of prevention of renal dysplasia is very important. So,it is required to create all the necessary conditions during the observation of a pregnant woman, protecting the embryo and fetus from any teratogenic effects.
The search for markers of a heterozygous carrier of pathology is also essential. In addition, antenatal diagnosis of the development of malformations of the genitourinary system is required.