We live in times were most people suffer from one organ failure to another and most unfortunately, majority don’t know the symptoms, signs, prevention and remedies.
Below are everything you need to know about kidney failure
What is kidney failure?
Kidney failure (renal failure) means one or both of your kidneys no longer function well on their own. Kidney failure is sometimes temporary and develops quickly (acute). Other times it’s a chronic (long-term) condition that slowly gets worse.
Kidney failure is the most severe stage of kidney disease. It’s fatal without treatment. If you have kidney failure, you may survive a few days or weeks without treatment.
What do the kidneys do?
Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs about the size of your fist. They sit under your ribcage, toward your back. Most people have two working kidneys, but you can live well with only one kidney as long as it’s working correctly.
Kidneys have several jobs. One of the most important jobs is helping your body eliminate toxins. Your kidneys filter your blood and send waste products out of your body in urine (pee).
When your kidneys don’t work correctly, waste products build up in your body. If this happens, you’ll feel sick and eventually die without treatment. Many people can manage kidney failure with the proper treatment.
What happens when kidney failure starts?
There are kidney disease stages according to your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
Your eGFR is a calculation of how well your kidneys filter substances. A normal eGFR is about 100. The lowest eGFR is 0, which means there’s no remaining kidney function.
The stages of any kidney disease include:
- Stage I. Your GFR is higher than 90 but below 100. At this stage, your kidneys have mild damage but still function normally.
- Stage II. Your GFR may be as low as 60 or as high as 89. You have more damage to your kidneys than in stage I, but they still function well.
- Stage III. Your GFR may be as low as 30 or as high as 59. You may have mild or severe loss of kidney function.
- Stage IV. Your GFR may be as low as 15 or as high as 29. You have severe loss of kidney function.
- Stage V. Your GFR is below 15. Your kidneys are nearing or at complete failure.
Kidney failure can sneak up on you with not-so-obvious signs.
Knowing what to watch for could make all the difference.
Here are the key symptoms to be aware of!
🔑 You might produce less urine than usual, or notice that your urine is foamy, bubbly, or has blood in it, which could make it look pink, red, or brownish.
🔑 Swelling can occur in your ankles, feet, hands, or around your eyes, particularly in the morning, due to fluid buildup from the kidneys not removing excess fluid effectively.
Chest pain might occur if fluid builds up around the lining of your heart.
🔑 You may feel unusually tired and weak because the buildup of waste products in your body can make it hard to concentrate and cause fatigue.
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🔑 Non-stop nausea and vomiting can occur, making you feel sick to your stomach and potentially reducing your appetite.
🔑 Shortness of breath might happen if fluid accumulates in your lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
🔑 High blood pressure can worsen as kidney function declines, and may be a sign of kidney problems.
🔑 You might develop a metallic or ammonia-like taste in your mouth due to waste products in your blood.
🔑 Muscle cramps or twitches, particularly in your legs, can occur due to imbalances in minerals like calcium and phosphorus.
🔑 Feeling unusually cold, even in warm places, could be due to anemia, which is common in kidney failure.
COMMON CAUSES OF KIDNEY FAILURE
– Diabetes
– High blood pressure
– Chronic kidney disease
– Kidney infections
– Kidney stones
– Genetic conditions
– Medication abuse (e.g painkillers)
– Poor water drinking habits.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical attention quickly.
🔑 Relationship between alcohol and your kidneys
Too much alcohol consumption over time can contribute to kidney failure by:
– causing dehydration (remove much needed water from your body), which reduces your kidneys’ ability to filter waste
– increase your blood pressure, and worsen diabetic conditions eventually leading to chronic kidney damage.
HOW TO IMPROVE KIDNEY HEALTH
🎯 Drink plenty of water to help kidneys filter waste effectively.
🎯 Eat a balanced diet low in sodium (fries), processed foods, and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
🎯 Monitor and manage blood pressure
🎯 Engage in regular physical activity to support overall health and control weight.
🎯 Limit your alcohol intake to reduce the risk of kidney damage.
🎯 Don’t smoke
🎯 Use medications, especially painkillers as prescribed
🎯 Manage your stress
🎯 Do checkups regularly
– Pharm Greatman
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.
Is kidney failure contagious?
No, kidney failure isn’t contagious. You also can’t spread conditions that cause CKD to another person.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is kidney failure diagnosed?
A healthcare provider may use a variety of kidney function tests to evaluate your kidneys and diagnose kidney failure. If the provider suspects you’re at risk of kidney failure, common tests include:
- Blood tests. Blood tests show how well your kidneys remove waste from your blood. A provider will use a thin needle to withdraw a small amount of blood from a vein in your arm. Technicians will then analyze your blood sample at a lab.
- Urine tests. Urine tests measure specific substances in your pee, such as protein or blood. You’ll pee into a special container at a provider’s office or a hospital. Technicians will then analyze your urine sample at a lab.
- Imaging tests. Imaging tests allow a provider to look at your kidneys and the surrounding areas to identify abnormalities or blockages. Common imaging tests include kidney ultrasound, CT urogram and MRI.
Management and Treatment
How is kidney failure treated?
Kidney failure treatment depends on the cause and extent of the problem.
Treatment for a chronic medical condition can slow down the progression of kidney disease. If your kidneys gradually stop working, a healthcare provider may use a few different methods to track your health and maintain kidney function as long as possible. These methods may include:
- Regular blood tests.
- Blood pressure checks.
- Medication.
If you’re in kidney failure, you need treatment to keep you alive. There are two main treatments for kidney failure.
Dialysis
Dialysis helps your body filter blood. There are two types of dialysis:
- Hemodialysis. In hemodialysis, a machine regularly cleans your blood for you. Most people get hemodialysis three to four days a week at a hospital or dialysis clinic.
- Peritoneal dialysis. In peritoneal dialysis, a provider attaches a bag with a dialysis solution to a catheter in your abdominal lining. The solution flows from the bag into your abdominal lining, absorbs waste products and extra fluids and drains back into the bag. Sometimes people can receive peritoneal dialysis at home.
Kidney transplant
A surgeon places a healthy kidney in your body during a kidney transplant to take over for your damaged kidney. The healthy kidney (donor organ) may come from a deceased donor or a living donor. You can live well with one healthy kidney.
Can a person recover from kidney failure?
Yes, you can recover from kidney failure with proper treatment. You may need treatment for the rest of your life.
How long can you live with kidney failure?
Without dialysis or a kidney transplant, kidney failure is fatal. You may survive a few days or weeks without treatment.
If you’re on dialysis, the average life expectancy is five to 10 years. Some people can live up to 30 years on dialysis.
If you have a kidney transplant, the average life expectancy if you receive a kidney from a living donor is 12 to 20 years. The average life expectancy if you receive a kidney from a deceased donor is eight to 12 years.
– my.clevelandclinic.org