Guide To The Symptoms Of Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a serious condition that occurs when there's some kind of muscle injury, either indirect or direct. When the muscle fibers die, they release their contents into the individual's bloodstream, which causes widespread issues. Rhabdomyolysis can easily become life-threatening, especially in cases where it leads to kidney failure. The kidneys fail when they're unable to remove concentrated urine and waste from the body. If rhabdomyolysis is promptly diagnosed and treated, most patients have a good outcome, which is why it's important to know what symptoms to look for following an injury. Individuals may experience symptoms if their muscles have been compressed over a long period, if any part of their body has been crushed, if they've suffered a third-degree burn or electric shock, or if they've had muscle tissue die due to venom from an insect or snake bite.

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Muscle Pain

Rhabdomyolysis develops in different ways depending on the underlying cause, making it hard to pinpoint symptoms sometimes. One of the classic symptoms is muscle pain in the lower back, shoulders, or thighs. However, not everyone who has the disease will have muscle pain. In fact, half of rhabdomyolysis patients don't experience any symptoms related to their muscles. If individuals have experienced a direct injury to their muscles, they'll probably experience pain as they're healing. Muscle pain is more unusual and concerning when the injury is indirect. Nontraumatic causes may include side effects from high doses of antipsychotics, a high core body temperature, a serious metabolic disorder like diabetic ketoacidosis, seizures, viral infections, bacterial infections, and any number of muscle diseases. If individuals have had rhabdomyolysis before, they're also more likely to develop the condition again.

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Decreased Urination

Decreased urination can be a serious sign of rhabdomyolysis. It occurs when the kidneys have become involved, since the kidneys are responsible for urine output. Decreased urine output is called oliguria in the medical field. Medical practitioners define this as less than four hundred milliliters or 13.5 ounces over twenty-four hours. When urine is absent entirely, this is called anuria. Practitioners consider less than fifty milliliters of passed urine over twenty-four hours to be anuria. There are multiple causes of decreased urination that don't have to do with the kidneys, so this isn't always a sign of rhabdomyolysis. Dehydration can cause decreased urine output, and trauma and infection can both lead to oliguria if they cause an individual's body to go into shock, which is a condition that requires emergency medical attention. Urinary tract obstructions, when a blockage keeps urine from leaving the kidneys, can also lead to decreased urination. Some medications can also lead to a decrease in urine output. Even though not all the potential causes are serious, patients should always talk to a doctor if they're experiencing decreased urination.

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