Uremia develops when the kidneys become damaged resulting in the accumulation of toxins or bodily waste in the bloodstream, which the kidneys normally eliminate in the urine. These toxins are called creatinine and urea. Uremia is a severe health condition if left untreated can lead to serious health problems or be fatal. Uremia is a primary symptom of kidney failure and also a sign of the end stages of chronic kidney disease. Treatment for this includes medication, dialysis, and kidney transplant.
Uremia

Symptoms Of Uremia

At the starting stage of chronic kidney disease, patients may not observe any signs and symptoms. However, by the time uremia has been diagnosed, kidneys are badly damaged. Some of the symptoms that you may have include:

  • Exhaustion or fatigue
  • Cramping
  • Poor or no appetite
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Cognitive problem
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Itching
  • Shortness of breath

In very serious cases, symptoms may include uremic fetor (a urine-like odour on the breath or metallic taste in the mouth) and uremic frost(yellow-white crystals on the skin due to urea in sweat).

Also Read: Kidney Health: Know About 11 Early Warning Signs of Renal Disease

Causes

Generally, uremia is caused by severe and irreversible damage to the kidneys, which is mainly from chronic kidney disease. Where the kidneys are no longer able to filter waste from the body and excrete it out via the urine. Instead, the waste or toxins get accumulated in the bloodstream, resulting in a potentially fatal condition.

The main causes of chronic kidney disease may include:

  • Uncontrolled blood pressure
  • Polycystic kidney disease
  • Diabetes
  • Inflammation of the filtering units called glomeruli
  • Inflammation of the kidney’s tubules and the structures around them
  • Enlarged prostate
  • Some types of cancer
  • Kidney stones that block the urinary tract for a longer duration of time
  • Recurring kidney infection

How Is Uremia Diagnosed?

The healthcare provider will determine the symptoms and conduct a thorough physical examination. Also review the patient’s medical health history, mainly kidney health and family health status. The physician may also suggest certain blood works such as creatinine and BUN blood tests that help the physician confirm the diagnosis. These tests evaluate the blood for high levels of waste products and estimated the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which measures kidney function.

Further, an ultrasound of the kidney monitors the shape and size of the kidneys and looks for any scarring. Further, an ultrasound can detect kidney blockages including kidney stones or any injuries.

Also Read: Kidney Function Tests: Know The Types, How It Is Done And What To Expect

Treatment

When uremia is diagnosed the kidneys are badly damaged by then. Dialysis is the main treatment mode for uremia. Dialysis is a process that removes waste, extra fluids, and toxins from the bloodstream and is regulated artificially, instead of by kidneys. There are two kinds of dialysis which include:

Haemodialysis: A machine is used to eliminate the waste from your blood.

Peritoneal Dialysis: A catheter is inserted into the abdomen. A dialysis fluid fills the abdomen, which absorbs the waste and accumulated fluid. Then, the fluid will remove the wastes from the body and drains them out.

In end-stage renal failure, a kidney transplant is a primary option, where a healthy kidney is taken from a living donor or deceased and transplanted into the system. Also, the patient will be on antirejection medication for the long term to avert the body from rejecting the donor's kidney.

Complications:

The complication of uremia can be very serious and if left untreated can finally lead to death. Some patients, while being treated with dialysis can develop certain complications which include:

  • Cardiovascular problems
  • Heart attacks
  • Severe itching from the imbalance of minerals
  • Amyloidosis
  • Depression

Talk to your doctor about any complications you may have. Following the treatment schedule set out by physicians can help lower or possibly avert some of these complications.

Prevention

The best possible way to prevent uremia if you are in end-stage renal failure is to get regular dialysis treatment. This will keep the waste eliminated from the blood.

Also, one should not have food high in sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. Eating a balanced and wholesome diet and exercising, as recommended by the doctor, can greatly help in the prevention of uremia.

As uremia is caused by severe kidney disease and kidney failure, one can try to avert uremia by following effective measures to prevent kidney disease. Some ways to prevent kidney disease include:

  • Keeping diabetes under control
  • Regulating a healthy blood pressure
  • Promote cardiovascular health
  • Quit smoking
  • Leading a healthy lifestyle – having a healthy diet and exercise regimen to avoid obesity

However, some risk factors such as age and family history of kidney disease are not modifiable, which makes it hard to prevent kidney disease. But following these preventive measures will eventually help.