Rhabdomyolysis

[|Rhabdomyolysis] is a disorder in which muscle fibers are released into the circulation due to the fibers breaking down. These fibers often times are toxic to the kidneys and usually damage them. This disease can be life threatening and is generally caused by crush injuries, overexertion, alcohol abuse, certain medicines, an toxic substances. Generally there are no specific symptoms for this syndrome, however other genetic disorders such as [|McArdle's disease] and muscular dystrophy are predisposing factors. A good clue that you have rhabdomyolysis is tea colored urine. If it is not treated than extreme cases can result in a condition were the myoglobin muscle breakdown spills into the urine giving it the tea color,this is called myoglobinuria. If the disease becomes to severe the muscle can also leak potassium which is called [|hyperkalemia], this can lead to fatal disruptions in the heart rythm. Treatment for rhabdomyolysis includes, if possible, removing the cause of the muscle cell destruction by stopping any medications that may cause rhabdomyolysis and providing plenty of fluids to help the kidneys remove the build up of toxins and other chemicals.

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