One of the vital products of the human body is urine. It is formed in the kidneys, enters the bladder and out of it through the urethra. Experts, discussing this topic, use a term such as "diuresis". What it is? How does this concept relate to the functioning of the urinary system?
The essence of diuresis
Under this term, specialists understand the volume of urine excreted from the body over a certain time period. Most often, daily diuresis is measured. The norm should be as follows:
- in 1 month - 320 ml;
- in 1−2 years - 450 ml;
- in 2−5 years - 520 ml;
- in 5−8 years - 680 ml;
- in 8-11 years old - 850 ml;
- in 11−18 years - from 1 to 1.1 liters;
- in adults - from 1.2 to 1.5 liters.
Indivisible concepts - daily diuresis and water balance. A person drinks from 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day. When comparing the indicated volume and the amount of urine excreted, the indicator "water balance" is obtained. Normally, it is 75%. Water balance is negative and positive. In the first case, less than 75% of the urine is excreted, and in the second, more than 75% of the volume of fluid drunk. Deviations from the norm indicate a violation of the organs of the urinary system.
Violation of diuresis
The normal functioning of the organs of the urinary system in humans can be disturbed for various reasons:
- infectious diseases of these organs (e.g. pyelonephritis);
- impaired blood supply to the kidneys (shock conditions, atherosclerosis);
- congenital pathologies (polycystic, hypoplasia);
- violation of excretory function (urolithiasis);
- damage to the kidneys with intoxication and severe diseases (sepsis).
Polyuria is a condition in which diuresis increases (the norm is significantly exceeded). Reducing the amount of fluid released from the body is called oliguria. Sometimes urine stops flowing into the bladder altogether. This condition is called anuria. But when experts talk about ischuria, they imply a retention of urine in the bladder due to the inability to urinate independently.
About polyuria
In this condition, daily diuresis is more than 2 liters. Polyuria occurs in completely healthy people due to the use of large amounts of water. Sometimes it is observed during pregnancy. An increase in daily diuresis can also be caused by certain diseases (diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus, polycystic kidney disease, arterial hypertension).
Polyuria is manifested by increased urination. There are no other symptoms of an increase in daily urine output. Patients can only observe signs that are characteristic of the diseases that caused polyuria. However, each ailment has its own symptomatology.
For physiological reasons, it is not necessary to treat polyuria. It is recommended only to revise the diet, avoid drinking a large amount of liquid. For pathological reasons, appropriate treatment is necessary. Therapy depends on the disease. In addition to treating the disease, specialists are taking measures to replenish the loss of electrolytes and fluids.
About oliguria
Asking the question: “Diuresis: what is it?”, It is worth considering oliguria. With it, about 500 ml of urine per day can be excreted from the human body. This condition is physiological, that is, associated with the use of a smaller volume of water or increased sweating in the hot season. Sometimes oliguria occurs due to pathological reasons (with high body temperature, prolonged diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding).
When a decrease in daily diuresis is detected, specialists prescribe an examination. During it, the reasons that caused oliguria are clarified. Nephritis, an inflammatory kidney disease, is often diagnosed . In some cases, daily diuresis changes in a smaller direction due to pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
Therapy is prescribed to the patient, taking into account the causes of oliguria. In general, the treatment regimen is as follows:
- with the help of various medicines, the pathogenic factor is blocked, due to which the daily diuresis has decreased;
- restoration of impaired homeostasis is carried out;
- Complications that have arisen are eliminated
The decrease in daily diuresis is completely reversible, provided that you see a doctor in a timely manner. If you don’t think about the question: “Diuresis: what is it?”, Don’t contact a specialist in time, oliguria will go to anuria.
About Anuria
Very often, anuria is confused with ishuria (acute urinary retention). However, these are completely different concepts. With acute urinary retention, fluid accumulates in the bladder, but does not stand out from it. With anuria, urine does not enter this organ at all. Anuria may be:
- Prerenal. It is associated with insufficient blood flow to the kidneys. This happens with thrombosis of the inferior vena cava and renal arteries, acute heart failure.
- Renal. The essence of this pathology is a significant lesion of the renal parenchyma that occurs with various diseases and injuries of the kidneys (for example, in the late stages of chronic pyelonephritis).
- Arenal Anuria due to lack of kidneys.
- Subrenal Lack of urine in the bladder is caused by compression of the upper urinary tract.
Anuria is a condition in which the patient needs the immediate help of specialists. Before treatment, a diagnosis is made. Then hemodialysis is performed - extrarenal blood purification, normalization of electrolyte and water balance disorders. If during the diagnosis a subrenal cause of anuria is identified, then the doctors carry out surgical intervention.
About Ishuria
Discussing the topic: "Diuresis: what is it?", It is worth paying attention to ishuria. This is a condition in which urine enters the bladder in a normal volume, but is not removed from there. The patient has the corresponding symptoms:
- strong urge to the toilet;
- protrusion over the pubis;
- pain in the area of an overflowing bladder.
Most often, men face ischuria. They have this condition due to inflammatory processes in the prostate gland, prostate cancer, the presence of calculi. With ischuria, emergency care is needed. It consists of catheterization.
If a catheter is not possible, then specialists conduct a cystostomy - a procedure in which urine is removed from the body through a special tube inserted through the wall of the abdomen into the bladder. After emergency care, treatment is prescribed that helps to eliminate the causes of ischuria.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that there is still such a thing as “forced diuresis”. This term refers to the method of therapy used in case of poisoning. Diuretics and fluid are simultaneously injected into the body. As a result, urination is stimulated. Toxic substances are excreted from the body faster with urine. For comparison, the following information can be given: normally, in the body of a healthy person, urine forms from 0.7 to 1.3 ml per minute, and with forced diuresis, the indicator increases to 8-10 ml per minute.