10 Alarm-Ringing Signs Your Body Might Be Battling Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

3. Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are reported to occur in around half of all patients who develop hemolytic uremic syndrome. Vomiting is a term used to describe when an individual has a forceful and involuntary contraction in their stomach that causes the food inside of it to be propelled up their esophagus and out of their mouth. Vomiting is a natural response in the body when the brain detects dangerous substances in the blood or digestive system the kidneys and liver are not clearing efficiently. The vomiting center in the brain is activated in an attempt to remove the toxin, as it automatically assumes toxins in the blood are the result of toxin ingestion into the digestive tract. Hemolytic uremic syndrome patients experience nausea and vomiting because their kidneys are functioning poorly and allow certain substances to build up in the blood. At normal levels, these natural substances and waste products are not harmful. However, high levels of natural waste substances in the blood can cause all of the organs to become poisoned from the inside out. Vomiting can also be a symptom of gastroenteritis if that is the underlying cause of an individual's hemolytic uremic syndrome.

4. Diarrhea

Diarrhea associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome tend to contain blood. Diarrhea or loose stools occur as a complication of infection by certain strains of E. coli bacteria that colonize in the intestines. These E. coli strains include serotypes O157:H7, O103:H2, O145, O113, O111:H8, O121, O26, and O104:H4. A healthy individual's stool is not watery and does not contain any blood because the specialized lining in the large intestine functions to remove excess fluid before it is excreted. The E. coli infections that cause hemolytic uremic syndrome produce a certain toxin in the large intestine called Shiga toxin. The Shiga toxin and other toxins cause severe damage to the specialized tissue that forms the large intestine lining, causing it to lose absorption functionality and rupture blood vessels. This mechanism causes the stool to become loose, watery, and bloody.