Urea ointment
Urea ointment is mostly used for very dry skin or neurodermatitis. Most people have already had contact with “urea” without even noticing it. Numerous hand creams contain this substance.
Urea here means nothing else than urea. The second important function of urea plays a role here. It fulfills the same function on the skin as in the kidney.
As soon as the substance is absorbed by the skin, urea is found in the tissue. There the urea contributes positively to the so-called “osmotic gradient”. This means that its chemical form increases the number of osmotically active particles in the tissue.
A constant exchange takes place between the capillaries containing the blood and the tissue. The liquid always flows to the place where a high osmotic pressure has been created. Since this pressure was previously increased in the tissue, more fluid flows from the blood into the tissue. The moisture is increased and counteracts the dryness of the skin.
Urea in blood
After the urea has been produced in the liver within the urea cycle, it is transported via the bloodstream to the kidneys and excreted there. Therefore urea is naturally found in the blood. This value should be between 10 and 55 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).
Both lower and higher values can indicate an organic defect and should be clarified. The cause for too high urea levels in the blood can be a reduced excretion or an increased production.Reduced excretion indicates a disease of the kidney, such as renal insufficiency, reduced blood supply to the kidney or a kidney filtration disorder. Increased production of urea can occur when there is a strong breakdown of proteins, such as in a high-protein diet, dehydration (vomiting, diarrhea), fever, hunger, burns, injuries or cancer.
The causes are a low-protein diet, pregnancy, liver diseases or liver failure, overhydration or acidosis of the body. In rare cases, there may also be an enzyme defect within the urea cycle. If the urea concentration in the blood is too high, the cause should always be clarified.
Depending on the cause, there are different ways to lower the concentration. The most effective way is to fight the cause. In the case of kidney disease, this is a chronic increase in concentration, which can only be reduced if the kidney function is improved.
If it is an acute increase or an increase without a recognizable cause, a look at the diet should be taken, because protein-rich food can greatly increase the urea concentration. In this case, food with a high protein content should be avoided. Likewise, sufficient fluid should be consumed, as this improves the kidney filtration strength. The additional fluid washes the urea out of the body, so to speak. A further option is an excessively alkaline diet, as an over-acidification of the body can be another reason for the high concentration.
