A lot of people are lucky enough to detect kidney disease in the early stage, and with scientific treatment, they get recovery.
However, some people have already suffered from renal failure and uremia (ESRD) at the very beginning. Because the disease is irreversible, they have to live on dialysis or look forward to kidney transplant.
Before uremia, isn’t there any physical abnormality?
The answer is no!
Our understanding of kidney function focuses more on detoxification and urine production, but the kidney is also responsible for regulating electrolyte balance. When kidney function is damaged, electrolytes can be disordered and hyperkalemia can occur.
Hyperkalemia can lead to electrolyte "short circuit" in the human body, which is often considered as a key indicator of early uremia.
Then what are the risks of hyperkalemia?
When the potassium ion content in blood is too high, sodium ion will reduce, leading to abnormal blood, and then you may have limb and perioral sense numbness, muscle aches, and slow heartbeat. Besides, blood potassium elevation can also cause cardiac rhythm abnormal, or even cardiac arrest to threaten life.
There are two types of kidney patients who need to be especially careful about being "entangled" with hyperkalemia.
1. Creatinine increases significantly
Blood creatinine is one of the core indicators to measure renal function. Especially when creatinine exceeds 450, the patient has entered the chronic renal failure stage, and the damage of renal function has been more than half, and cannot be reversed. In such a case, more attention should be paid to the change of blood potassium.
Because the patient's urine volume will be sharply reduced, which means that the renal ability to excrete potassium is significantly reduced, and then too much potassium accumulates in the body, resulting in hyperkalemia.
2. Have taken potassium-sparing drugs
Antihypertensive drugs are widely used in the treatment of kidney disease, especially ACEI and ARBs. However, the antihypertensive drugs will increase blood potassium, which requires the patients taking the antihypertensive drugs to test the blood potassium concentration and ensure normal blood potassium while detecting urine, renal function and blood pressure.
Faced with the threat of hyperkalemia, there are two things to do well!
1. Drug treatment
Select drugs that promote the removal of potassium ions in vitro, such as medullary loops or thiazide diuretics; Kidney patients who have begun dialysis can excrete the excess potassium ions through hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. In addition, taper or stop the drugs that may lead to increased blood potassium, such as spironolactone, aminobenzidine, amiroli and other potassium diuretics, blood pressure drugs, etc.
2. Low potassium diet
Diet is also a major source of potassium, and kidney patients should be sure to limit their intake of potassium to 50 to 60mmol per day. Be especially careful with the following high potassium foods:
Fruit: kiwi, banana, nectarine, avocado, cantaloupe, coconut, orange, mango, orange;
Vegetables: kelp, seaweed, potatoes, lotus root, spinach, tomato, fungus, yam, celery, and a variety of beans (Note: vegetables can be eaten after being blanched).
Blood potassium level is an early clinical indication of uremia. You should control it well to win the treatment time. For more information on uremia, please leave a message below or contact online doctor.
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- Tag: ESRD ESRD Symptoms
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