Uremia, also called prerenal azotemia or renal underperfusion, occurs when abnormally high levels of waste products, such as urea and creatinine, build up in your body and reduce blood flow to your kidneys. These waste products linger in your blood and your body produces no or little urine to expel these substances from your body, although your kidney is undamaged and able to function optimally. Symptoms of uremia include rapid pulse, thirst, dry mouth, confusion and pale skin. Many people develop uremia after being hospitalized for kidney trauma or heart failure. If you are not already hospitalized, your doctor will most likely admit you and treat you with intravenous fluids, internal dialysis, blood transfusions and heart medications, such as dobutamine, to elevate your blood pressure and initiate a more rapid heart output. Additionally, your doctor might suggest you follow a specialized diet to help you more quickly recover normal kidney function.
Dietary Recommendations
Shijiazhuang Kidney Hospital, a prominent kidney disease facility in China, offers several dietary recommendations for uremia. Because uremia generally causes low calcium levels, you should consume calcium-rich foods, such as meat soups, shrimp and fish to avoid becoming calcium-deficient. You should eat no more than 20 grams of protein per day. High protein consumption can elevate creatinine levels in your blood, which can further worsen your symptoms of anemia.
Choose high-quality protein sources, such as fish, lean meats, milk and eggs, and avoid low-quality protein sources, such as soy or tofu, which could further aggravate your uremia, according to SKH. Additionally, consume 20 grams of dietary fiber per day to keep your blood cholesterol levels regulated. If your blood cholesterol levels are too high, it could negatively impact your acute uremia. Fiber-rich foods include oatmeal, sweet potatoes, walnuts and cornmeal.
Dietary Restrictions
When you are experiencing uremia, your kidneys cannot remove potassium out of your body. A potassium buildup in your body can cause heart disease and death. So, limit your intake of potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, mushrooms, coffee and pears. Furthermore, uremia also halts phosphorus elimination in your body, so avoid or restrict your intake of phosphorus-containing foods, such as sodas and dairy products, to avoid toxic phosphorus buildup in your blood. Finally, restrict your sodium intake to 4 to 5 grams per day to avoid developing excess sodium-induced edema, or bodily swelling that can initiate heart failure or high blood pressure.
Considerations
Ask your doctor how much water you should drink every day while you are being treated for uremia. SKH suggests your water intake should be about 500 milliliters, or 17 ounces, more than the urine you produce daily to avoid developing fluid-induced high blood pressure or edema. However, you might have special needs that require more or less water per day to remain as well as you can. For example, if you sweat more than most people, you might need to increase your water consumption to remain properly hydrated.
Warning
Talk to your doctor about your individual nutritional needs before you begin a medically recommended diet for uremia. This diet might worsen other medical conditions. This diet might also lack nutrients your doctor deems necessary to fully help you recover based upon your individual vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
References
- MedlinePlus: Prerenal Azotemia
- Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital: Brief Introduction
- Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital; Diet Limits for Patients of Uremia; August 2011
- Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital; Diets for Uremia; December 2010
- Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital; Diet for Uremia Patients; May 2011
