Rhabdomyolysis: symptoms, causes and treatment

Practicing too much sport can lead to the appearance of this muscle degradation syndrome.

The cult of the body is commonplace nowadays. A large part of the population does some kind of sport. And in many cases, in the gym.

However, sometimes we exercise excessively. And on such occasions, severe alterations severe alterations such as rhabdomyolysis can be produced..

What is rhabdomyolysis?

Rhabdomyolysis is the syndrome caused by the degeneration and destruction of muscle fibers, a destruction that causes some of them to degenerate.This destruction causes some of the components of these fibers to pass into the bloodstream. Specifically, myoglobin and various enzymes such as CPK, LDH and GOT, which in high concentrations are toxic to the kidney, stand out.

Although the symptoms presented by people with rhabdomyolysis may vary, they usually coincide with the following symptoms such as generalized weakness and fatigue, muscle pain, decreased urination and the presence of red or brownish urine.The symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include generalized weakness and fatigue, muscle pain, decreased urination and the presence of red or brownish urine.

In general, this condition is usually seen in physically demanding professions, such as those belonging to the military, firefighters, policemen or athletes. Although there are more and more cases derived from excessive physical training.

Causes

Rhabdomyolysis is a very rare disorder, but it can occur for several reasons. The three most common reasons that lead to rhabdomyolysis are alcohol consumption, the presence of trauma resulting from accidents and, finally, intense physical exercise.

Other causes of rhabdomyolysis are genetic muscle diseases, seizures and aspects such as excess body temperature, phosphorus deficiency or dehydration.

Complications of the picture

The effects and severity may depend on factors such as the amount of muscle destroyed. It may be symptomless or it may cause severe renal failure and even death.

The most frequent complication that usually occurs as a complication of the condition is usually acute renal failuregenerated by the excessive presence of myoglobinuria. It can be detected by the presence of dark-colored urine, usually brownish and cola-like. This affectation is generally produced when more than one hundred grams of muscle are destroyed, which releases so much myoglobinuria that the kidney is not able to filter and becomes obstructed. Curiously, in this case it has been shown that the greater the muscular mass of the subject, the greater the possibility of this complication occurring.

Other possible complications are the presence of arrhythmias derived from the changes and the discharge of cells into the blood. It can also lead to excesses and deficits of other deficits of other components, such as potassium, phosphate and uric acid, which can lead to imbalances in the blood.which can lead to life-threatening chemical imbalances that have the potential to cause Heart failure.

How is it treated?

Treatment of rhabdomyolysis may allow complete recovery from the condition, but it is imperative that the patient but it is imperative that it be started as soon as possible. Priority is given to continuous hydration of the patient to prevent renal problems, injecting serum. Likewise, restore normal diuresis or urination.

Glucose is also injected to avoid dangerous elevations of potassium that can cause cardiac problems. In case of no response to saline or if the patient manifests renal insufficiency, hemodialysis is applied.

The prognosis with early treatment is very positiveThe prognosis with early treatment is very positive, with the vast majority of those affected recovering and the normal functioning of the system and kidneys being restored. However, if not treated in time, it can cause the death of the subject.

Recommendations at the sport level.

As mentioned throughout the article, one of the most frequent causes of this disorder is excessive physical exercise.

In this last aspect we can remark that it can appear in those people who do an excessive exercise for their physical condition. Especially noteworthy are the cases of people who are initiated in the sport making excessive efforts during a very during a very prolonged period. In general, an excessive rupture of the muscle is caused because the musculature is not allowed enough time to adapt to the exercise.

But also occurs in subjects accustomed to exerciseIt also occurs in subjects accustomed to exercise, after periods in which they have not exercised, or when the demands to which they are subjected exceed what their muscles can withstand.

This does not imply that one should not exercise at a high intensity, but it should be taken into account that it is advisable to adjust the exercise to one's own physical form and to recognize one's own limits. You should start slowly and progressively work your way up. Warm up the muscles beforehand with simple and not excessively demanding exercises can be essential to avoid this problem.