Statement: The content of this article is original, written based on authoritative medical information combined with personal viewpoints. It was first published on Toutiao and had a 72-hour exclusivity. There is a 5-second free advertisement within the article. Thank you to all the viewers for clicking to support original content. The references and screenshots are noted at the end of the article. To facilitate reading and understanding, some storylines contain fictional elements, intended for health education, please be advised.
Statement: The content of this article is original, written based on authoritative medical information combined with personal viewpoints. It was first published on Toutiao and had a 72-hour exclusivity. There is a 5-second free advertisement within the article. Thank you to all the viewers for clicking to support original content. The references and screenshots are noted at the end of the article. To facilitate reading and understanding, some storylines contain fictional elements, intended for health education, please be advised.
Little Li is a young office worker who recently caught a cold due to sudden weather changes. To recover quickly, he self-medicated with several types of cold medicine, including pain relievers, fever reducers, and antibiotics.
At first, Little Li only experienced headaches and fatigue, but after a few days, his cold symptoms eased.
However, on the seventh day of his cold, he suddenly experienced severe abdominal pain and decreased urine output. After being urgently sent to the hospital and undergoing a series of tests, the doctor diagnosed him with acute kidney failure.
Faced with this result, both Little Li and his family were shocked, as it was merely a common cold. How could it lead to such serious consequences?
According to statistics from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of acute kidney injury caused by improper use of cold medicines have been increasing year by year in recent years. In 2019, over 25% of patients hospitalized for drug-induced kidney injury were due to improper use of cold medications.
The World Health Organization has also issued warnings, stating that long-term or improper use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin may lead to kidney damage.
This risk is particularly significant for patients with potential kidney problems. Therefore, the correct use of cold medications has become an important public health issue.
A cold may seem like a mild illness, and almost everyone experiences it once or twice a year. However, randomly taking cold medicine, especially mixing multiple drugs, can pose risks far beyond our imagination.
Incorrect medication habits can lead to serious health problems, even resulting in fatal consequences such as kidney failure.
1. Why does taking excessive cold medicine lead to kidney failure?
Many cold medicines contain NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and aspirin. These drugs can effectively relieve pain and inflammation, but they also have a significant side effect of affecting blood flow to the kidneys.
Under normal circumstances, the kidneys filter blood to eliminate waste and excess fluid from the body, while NSAIDs suppress the production of a substance called prostaglandin.
