Uremia: what is it, main symptoms and treatment

Uremia is a syndrome caused mainly by the accumulation of urea and other ions in the blood, which are toxic substances produced by the liver after the digestion of proteins that are generally filtered by the kidneys. Normally, an excess of urea is capable of causing uremia, which occurs when the kidneys suffer from an insufficiency, becoming unable to filter the blood as they should.

However, in healthy people, the urea level in the blood can also be slightly increased due to several factors, such as eating habits, physical inactivity, body hydration and the way the body carries out its metabolism, which does not necessarily mean that there is a kidney disease.

Renal failure is caused by injuries due to acute or chronic diseases that affect these organs, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, dehydration, serious infections, accidental strokes, alcoholism or drug use. See what is the renal failure, its symptoms and treatments.

Symptoms of uremia

Excess urea is toxic to the body and affects circulation and various organs, such as the brain, heart, muscles and lungs. Therefore, the symptoms of uremia are:

• Nausea and vomiting;
• weakness;
• Tos, lack of air;
• Palpitations;
• Changes in blood coagulation;
• Headache;
• somnolence;
• With the.

In addition to urea excess, kidney failure, it also causes accumulation of fluids and other electrolytes in the blood, such as sodium, potassium and magnesium, which can further aggravate the symptoms of uremia.

How to diagnose

The diagnosis of uremia is carried out by the general physician or nephrologist, through the direct measurement of urea in blood or indirectly through the urea nitrogen test, which are high. In addition, from the altered urea exams, uremia is also associated with the presence of renal failure and the aforementioned symptoms. I understand better what means the urea exam.

Other blood tests, such as creatinine, sodium, potassium, magnesium or urine, help to detect the presence of changes in the kidneys and define the diagnosis of renal failure.

Reference values ​​of urea in blood

Urea level in the blood considered normal:

Blood urea level considered critical:

• Values ​​greater than 200 mg/dl

How is the treatment performed?

The treatment for uremia is carried out through hemodialysis, which has the ability to filter blood in a similar way to a normal kidney. Patients with renal failure generally need 3 hemodialysis sessions per week. Find out how hemodialysis is performed.

In addition, it is important to maintain correct habits to prevent kidney failure from getting worse, such as physical activity, drinking the amount of water recommended by the nephrologist and having a balanced diet.