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Uremia
Does uremia transmit to others?
Uremia is not contagious to others because it is not an infectious disease. Uremia is a severe renal failure, so patients with uremia can interact, communicate, live, work, and study with healthy people without the need for gastrointestinal or respiratory isolation. Normally, if a patient with uremia is stable, they can engage in sexual activities and the disease will not be transmitted through sexual contact. Uremia usually presents symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, edema, and increased blood pressure. Therefore, patients with uremia need to undergo dialysis treatment. They can choose either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Dialysis treatment can significantly improve the symptoms of uremia and enhance the quality of life of the patients.
The precursors of uremia
The so-called uremia refers to the end result of chronic kidney disease causing long-term damage to the kidneys in patients. Patients with uremia often have long-standing conditions, as it takes time to progress from mild kidney failure to uremia. Before the onset of uremia, patients may experience symptoms related to kidney failure, such as swelling of the limbs and face, reduced urine output, proteinuria which leads to foamy urine, and visible blood in the urine due to hematuria. Patients are also prone to developing high blood pressure. These symptoms can be precursors to uremia, although other diseases can also cause similar symptoms.
Precursors of uremia
The kidneys have a very strong compensatory ability. When kidney function is slightly impaired, they can generally still handle the basic physiological functions of the human body through compensation, so patients may feel that everything is normal. Despite the fact that the occurrence and development of uremia is a long and gradually worsening process, which can sometimes be very severe, it is still possible to detect early signs of uremia if one actively seeks them out early on. Early indications of uremia can be identified in time by going to the hospital for urine and blood tests. The early signs of uremia often manifest as general fatigue, which is the symptom most easily overlooked. Other symptoms of early uremia include edema, especially noticeable swelling of the eyelids and facial area after waking up in the morning. If it develops into systemic or persistent edema, the condition is already very serious. Additionally, early-stage uremia patients may also experience an increase in the frequency of nocturnal urination and more foam in the urine, as well as increased blood pressure, and even dizziness, headaches, and a lack of appetite. These are all early signs of uremia.
What tests are involved in checking for uremia?
Uremia refers to the final stage of chronic renal failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease. Therefore, the first step in examining a patient with uremia is to check renal function. The patient's blood creatinine level must reach a certain level to diagnose uremia. Secondly, it is necessary to examine the urinary system through color Doppler ultrasound, and to conduct blood tests for routine blood indicators, electrolytes, parathyroid hormone, etc. The color Doppler ultrasound shows a reduction in kidney size, which provides evidence for the diagnosis of uremia. Patients with uremia often also suffer from various complications, including anemia, electrolyte disorders, hyperparathyroidism, and so on. Therefore, such patients also need to undergo examinations for routine blood parameters, electrolytes, and parathyroid hormone levels, among other indicators.
What should I do about tinnitus caused by uremia?
Tinnitus in uremia requires further consultation at the ENT department of a formal public hospital. Tinnitus is not a typical symptom of uremia and may not necessarily be related to kidney disease or caused by uremia. Some patients may experience tinnitus due to severe anemia, which leads to insufficient blood supply in the skull, or due to persistently high blood pressure caused by uremia, which can also potentially cause tinnitus. However, the probability of these scenarios is generally low, and it is still recommended that patients seek further consultation at an ENT department to clarify potential causes, such as infections or tumors in the inner ear system.
Symptoms of pre-uremia
The pre-uremic stage is the period of chronic renal failure. During the pre-uremic stage, many patients may have no symptoms at all. However, some patients do experience many uncomfortable symptoms, such as back soreness and weakness, fatigue, and feeling cold easily. During this stage, patients may also experience nausea and vomiting, especially pronounced nausea after waking up in the morning, as well as weight loss. Some patients in the pre-uremic stage exhibit symptoms of edema, which can occur in the eyelids, facial area, or in both lower limbs. Additionally, patients may experience feeling cold, anemia, and an increased frequency of urination at night. Of course, some patients may also experience itching of the skin on both lower limbs.
Symptoms of Uremia
Once diagnosed with uremia, patients exhibit numerous clinical symptoms, though these symptoms are not completely identical across different individuals. Typically, the primary symptoms of uremia include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, with these symptoms becoming more pronounced after eating. There might even be diarrhea, an increase in the frequency of bowel movements, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Additionally, patients show signs of edema, particularly around the eyelids and face, with very noticeable swelling in the lower limbs. Severe cases may also present with pleural effusion and ascites, accompanied by a reduction in urine output. Patients may also experience dizziness, headache, elevated blood pressure, and even exhibit pallor, anemia, itchy skin, bone pain, and intolerance to cold, among various other clinical symptoms.
Causes of Uremia
Uremia is a syndrome caused by the progressive development of various chronic kidney diseases that ultimately leads to bilateral renal failure in patients, unable to timely remove excess water, electrolytes, and various toxins from the body. The causes of uremia are many and complex. Common causes include chronic nephritis, diabetic nephropathy, and hypertensive nephropathy. Other diseases such as chronic interstitial nephritis, chronic pyelonephritis, uric acid nephropathy, chronic obstructive nephropathy, renal vascular diseases, and hereditary nephritis can also lead to uremia. Once uremia occurs, patients often exhibit symptoms of general discomfort and may need to choose dialysis treatment, which can be either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, depending on individual circumstances.
Does uremia cause fever in its early stages?
Fever is not an early clinical manifestation in patients with uremia; therefore, patients in the early stages of uremia do not exhibit fever. Typically, in the early stages of uremia, patients only show symptoms such as fatigue, poor spirit, lack of appetite, and easy fatigue, and may experience edema, such as swelling of the eyes and facial area after waking up in the morning, making it difficult for patients to open their eyes, and swelling of the lower limbs. In addition, patients also exhibit high blood pressure, such as increased systolic and diastolic pressures, which are difficult to control. Patients often exhibit clinical symptoms such as dizziness and headache. Patients also experience a significant increase in the frequency of urination at night and an increase in urine output, which are all early manifestations of uremia.
How should uremia patients rest?
Adequate rest plays a very important role in the recovery of patients with uremia. If the condition of the uremia patient is in an acute phase, for example, if the patient feels palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath after activities, or even has obvious edema and high blood pressure, the patient should rest in bed and try to avoid getting out of bed. They should eat and take care of personal hygiene while in bed. If they feel chest tightness, they can also use oxygen. Once the condition of the uremia patient has stabilized, especially after undergoing hemodialysis treatment, and the symptoms of uremia have improved, they can rest out of bed and should ensure they get seven to eight hours of sleep daily. Only through sufficient sleep can the patient's mental state significantly improve. During the rest period, patients can also engage in appropriate recreational activities, such as outdoor walks, singing, and other activities.