Is uremia contagious?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 11, 2024
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Strictly speaking, uremia is not an independent disease and it is not contagious. Uremia refers to the state where numerous causes chronically damage the kidneys over a long period, eventually leading to the destruction of most kidney tissue, resulting in the kidneys' inability to excrete metabolic waste. There are many causes of uremia, including chronic nephritis, diabetes hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, urinary system stones, and even prostate hyperplasia, among others, which damage the kidneys and lead to this condition. Generally, these causes are not contagious as they do not involve bacteria, viruses, or fungi. However, if uremia is caused by infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B virus or HIV, these infectious diseases can be contagious, but uremia itself is not contagious.

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Written by Guan Hai Fang
Urology
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Is uremia cancer?

Uremia is not cancer. Chronic kidney failure refers to the presence of various kidney diseases that lead to a progressive and irreversible decline in kidney function, culminating in a series of symptoms and metabolic disorders that form a clinical syndrome, commonly known as chronic kidney failure. The end stage of chronic kidney failure is what is often referred to as uremia. Uremia is not a separate disease, but a clinical syndrome common to various late-stage kidney diseases. It is a symptom consisting of a series of clinical manifestations that occur when chronic kidney failure enters its terminal stage. Typically, this includes disturbances in water and electrolyte acid-base metabolism, with metabolic acidosis and water-electrolyte imbalance being the most common.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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How is uremia caused?

Uremia, also known as end-stage renal disease, is actually the late stage of chronic renal failure development, capable of causing long-term chronic damage to the kidneys. There are many reasons for this, and if these causes persist over a long period, continuously harming the kidneys without effective removal or control, it could eventually lead to severe renal failure, ultimately causing uremia. The causes that can chronically harm the kidneys mainly include diabetes, hypertension, chronic nephritis, polycystic kidney, urinary system stones, tumors, and other such conditions.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Is uremia contagious?

Strictly speaking, uremia is not an independent disease and it is not contagious. Uremia refers to the state where numerous causes chronically damage the kidneys over a long period, eventually leading to the destruction of most kidney tissue, resulting in the kidneys' inability to excrete metabolic waste. There are many causes of uremia, including chronic nephritis, diabetes hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, urinary system stones, and even prostate hyperplasia, among others, which damage the kidneys and lead to this condition. Generally, these causes are not contagious as they do not involve bacteria, viruses, or fungi. However, if uremia is caused by infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B virus or HIV, these infectious diseases can be contagious, but uremia itself is not contagious.

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Written by Tang Da Wei
General Surgery
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Can holding urine lead to uremia?

Holding urine will not cause uremia. Holding urine may lead to bladder fullness, and after a long time, it might cause dilation of the ureters, but it will not lead to uremia. Uremia is caused by renal insufficiency or end-stage renal failure, characterized by significantly increased creatinine and urea nitrogen in the patient's body, with reduced urine output or even anuria. Once uremia is diagnosed, it generally requires hospitalization for dialysis treatment, which involves removing toxins from the body through dialysis. Additionally, it is advised to consume nutritionally rich foods in daily life.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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How to diagnose uremia

Uremia is the final state of chronic renal failure. This disease cannot be diagnosed through physical examination and medical history inquiry alone. Diagnosis requires testing, combined with the patient's physical examination and medical history, to comprehensively determine the diagnosis. Patients with uremia first need to have a blood test to check kidney function, with blood creatinine levels needing to exceed 707μmol/L. Secondly, they should undergo an ultrasound of the urinary system. Typically, the kidney size in such patients is reduced, which can be detected by the ultrasound. These two diagnostic methods used together can diagnose uremia. Patients also need to be checked for potential complications caused by uremia, such as measuring blood pressure and performing a complete blood count to check for renal anemia, among others.