Uremia << yu REE mee uh >> is a condition that occurs when poisonous wastes build up in the blood. Such wastes normally pass out of the body in the urine, which is produced by the kidneys. Uremia results if the kidneys do not rid the body of these wastes. The word uremia means urine in the blood.
Uremia occurs mostly in adults who have a kidney disease. Uremia develops gradually as poisons accumulate because of the damaged kidneys. Physicians can successfully treat a few of the diseases that cause uremia. But in most cases, the diseased kidneys cannot be repaired, and advanced uremia occurs. The symptoms of advanced uremia include nausea, vomiting, hiccups, loss of appetite, breath that smells of urine, drowsiness, and itchy, yellowish-tan skin. Patients may also have muscular twitching, mental disturbances, and convulsions. In time, they become unconscious, a condition called uremic coma. Death follows in most cases.
Physicians use two methods to keep advanced uremia victims alive. A dialysis machine cleanses the blood in much the same way as the kidneys do. Surgeons also perform kidney transplants to replace diseased kidneys with healthy ones.
