High levels of urea can indicate that your kidneys are not functioning properly. Ideally, the kidneys function to filter and remove urea from the blood through urine. If it accumulates in the blood, urea can cause various complaints and health problems.
Urea is a by-product of the breakdown of proteins and amino acids in the liver. Urea levels can be measured through a test blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The normal limits for urea levels are distinguished by age and gender.
Here are the details:
- Adult men: 8-24 mg/dL
- Adult women: 6-21 mg/dL
- Children aged 1-17 years: 7-20 mg/dL
Urea is toxic and needs to be removed from the body through the kidneys. The condition when the level of urea in the blood is too high (> 50 mg/dl) is called uremia. This can cause fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and leg cramps. Urea examination is usually included in the examination of kidney function which includes examination of basal urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels.
What Causes High Urea Levels?
There are several things that can cause high urea levels, including:
- Excessive consumption of high protein foods
- Severe dehydration
- Blockage in the urinary tract
- Kidney failure
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Severe burns
- Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract
- Taking certain antibiotics
- Pregnancy
How to Lower High Urea Levels?
Uremia that is not treated immediately can harm you. Therefore, to reduce high levels of urea, there are several ways you can do, namely:
1. Fulfill body fluid intake
Lack of fluid intake not only makes you easily dehydrated, but can also cause high levels of urea in the blood. The reason is, water is needed as a carrier for residual substances from the blood and then filtered by the kidneys into urine. If the body lacks water, the filtering of waste substances in the kidneys will be hampered.
In addition to dehydration, high urea levels can also be caused by kidney failure. In this condition, the amount of water that enters the body must be calculated carefully. If you have kidney failure, ask your doctor about the amount of fluid you need to drink each day.
2. Limit protein intake
Eating high protein foods is good for the body. On the other hand, excessive protein consumption also increases the protein breakdown process which will then increase the level of urea in the blood. That is why, you need to limit protein intake to reduce the level of urea in the blood remains.
Generally, a person needs about 50-60 grams of protein per day. This amount is equivalent to 200 grams of boneless chicken breast.
3. Consume lots of fiber
Not only preventing constipation, consumption of fibrous foods has also been shown to be able to reduce urea levels, even in patients with kidney failure. This is why people with chronic kidney disease are encouraged to eat high-fiber foods.
Foods rich in fiber include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
High levels of urea do not always indicate disease, it could also be due to the food you eat or because you are pregnant. If your BUN examination is high, you should consult a doctor to determine whether or not there is a suspicion of a disease.