What is kidney Failure?
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, occurs when the kidneys are no longer able to adequately remove waste from your blood and control the level of fluid in your body. Kidney failure can happen suddenly or gradually. People with kidney failure need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.
If you have kidney disease, it does not mean that you will develop kidney failure. One in ten Australians aged 18 and over (approximately 1.7 million people) has at least one sign of chronic kidney disease, and over 26,000 Australians receive dialysis or a kidney transplant for kidney failure.
You can lose up to 90 per cent of your kidney function before experiencing symptoms. In many cases, the signs of disease often aren’t noticed until the kidneys are close to failure.
Types of kidney failure
Five different types of kidney failure exist. Acute kidney failure occurs when your kidneys suddenly stop working properly. Chronic kidney failure occurs over time.
The five types of kidney failure include:
Acute prenal kidney failure. Insufficient blood flow to the kidneys can cause acute prenal kidney failure. The kidneys can’t filter toxins from the blood without enough blood flow. This type of kidney failure can usually be cured once the cause of the decreased blood flow is determined.
Acute intrinsic kidney failure. Acute intrinsic kidney failure can result from direct trauma to the kidneys, such as physical impact or an accident. Other causes include toxin overload and ischemia, which is a lack of oxygen to the kidneys. Ischemia can be caused by severe bleeding, shock, obstruction of the renal blood vessel, and glomerulonephritis, a condition where the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys become inflamed.
Chronic prerenal kidney failure. When there isn’t enough blood flowing to your kidneys for an extended period of time, the kidneys begin to shrink and lose the ability to function.
Chronic intrinsic kidney failure. This happens when there’s long-term damage to the kidneys due to intrinsic kidney disease. Intrinsic kidney disease develops from a direct trauma to the kidneys, such as severe bleeding or a lack of oxygen.
Chronic post-renal kidney failure. A long-term blockage of the urinary tract prevents urination. This causes pressure and eventual kidney damage.
Symptoms of kidney failure
Early stage kidney failure often doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, as many as 90 percent of people with chronic kidney disease don’t know they have it.
As kidney disease progresses, possible symptoms may include:
a reduced amount of urine
swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet from retention of fluids caused by the failure of the kidneys to eliminate water waste
unexplained shortness of breath
excessive drowsiness or fatigue
persistent nausea
confusion
pain or pressure in your chest
seizures
coma.
Symptoms of kidney disease
In the early stages of kidney disease, people can have no symptoms. In fact, some people have no symptoms until over 90 per cent of their kidney function has gone. This is unfortunate because early detection of kidney disease and treatment is the key to preventing kidney failure.
Symptoms of kidney disease can include:
tiredness
loss of appetite
difficulty sleeping
headache's
lack of concentration
shortness of breath
nausea and vomiting
changes in the amount and number of times urine is passed
changes in the appearance of urine or blood in the urine
puffiness in the legs and ankles
pain in the kidney area
high blood pressure
itching
bad breath
a metallic taste in the mouth.
These symptoms can be caused by other conditions, but if you are in a high-risk group for kidney disease, speak with your doctor.
What are the most common causes of kidney failure?
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
Unmanaged diabetes can lead to high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Consistently high blood sugar can damage your kidneys as well as other organs.
High blood pressure means blood travels forcefully through your body’s blood vessels. Over time and without treatment, the extra force can damage your kidneys’ tissue.
Kidney failure usually doesn’t happen quickly. Other CKD causes that may lead to kidney failure include:
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD). PKD is a condition you inherit from one of your parents (inherited condition) that causes fluid-filled sacs (cysts) to grow inside your kidneys.
Glomerular diseases. Glomerular diseases affect how well your kidneys filters waste.
Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can cause organ damage, joint pain, fever and skin rashes.
Kidney failure can also develop quickly because of an unexpected cause. Acute kidney failure (acute kidney injury) is when your kidneys suddenly lose their ability to function. Acute kidney failure may develop within hours or days. It’s often temporary.
Common causes of acute kidney failure include:
Autoimmune kidney diseases.
Certain medications.
Severe dehydration.
A urinary tract obstruction.
Untreated systemic diseases, such as heart disease or liver disease.
Treatment types
People may need to take many medications to treat the symptoms and conditions that develop due to CKD.
In addition, a person may need to try one of the following lifestyle changes or treatments, depending on the stage of their CKD.
Diet
Following a proper diet is a vital part of kidney failure treatment. Restricting the amount of protein in the diet may help slow down the progression of the condition, as consuming too much protein may overexert a person’s kidneys.
However, the specific amount of protein a person should eat depends on their body size, overall health, and exercise regimen. A person should talk with a doctor or dietitian to find out the best sources of protein and how much to consume.
Making dietary changes may also help alleviate symptoms of nausea. A person should regulate their salt intake carefully to control hypertension. A person may also need to limit potassium and phosphorus, as these can be dangerous for people with CKD.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
People with CKD should avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, certain antibiotics, and the use of dye with a CT scan. This is due to an increased risk of side effects as a result of how the kidneys may metabolize these drugs.
Critical stage treatment
End stage treatment typically begins when a person is at stage 5 and their kidney is functioning at 15%Trusted Source of its normal capacity. It occurs when the kidneys cannot keep up with the waste and fluid elimination process despite the person making lifestyle changes, making dietary changes, and taking medications.
For this reason, a person with end stage renal disease will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. Most doctors try to delay the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant for as long as possible because they can lead to potentially serious complications.
Kidney dialysis
Dialysis is the mechanical removal of waste products and excessive fluids from the blood when the kidneys can no longer carry out this function. Dialysis has some serious risks, including infection.
There are two main types of kidney dialysis. They are:
Hemodialysis: A dialyzer, or an artificial kidney, machine pumps blood out of the person’s body. The machine filters out the waste, and the blood reenters the body through tubes. This procedure usually happens in the hospital or at a dialysis center, but it can also take place at home.
Peritoneal dialysis: The person’s abdomen filters the blood. This takes place in the peritoneal cavity, which contains a vast network of tiny blood vessels. A doctor implants a catheter into the abdomen and infuses and drains a dialysis solution for as long as is necessary to remove waste and excess fluid.
There are two subtypes of peritoneal dialysis:
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Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: This usually happens while a person goes about their daily activities.
Automated peritoneal dialysis: This generally takes place during sleep.
Kidney transplant
A kidney transplant is a better option than dialysis for those with no other health conditions apart from kidney failure. However, candidates for a kidney transplant may have to undergo dialysis until they receive a new kidney.
A kidney donor and recipient need to have blood types that work together. If a person receives a kidney from someone with incompatible blood, their body may reject it.
Siblings or very close relatives are usually the best types of donors. If a living donor is not available, the search will begin for a cadaver donor, and a person will get a kidney from someone who has recently died.
Keywords
Kidney stones.
Kidney Failure
Chronic Kidney
Intrinsic Kidney
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