Kidney Failure Symptoms
What are the kidneys?
The kidneys are very important for function of the body. They do not only filter the blood and get rid of the blood, but also balance the electrolyte's level in the body, controls the blood pressure and motivate the creation of red blood cells in the body.
The kidneys are placed in the abdomen toward back, generally one at each side of spine. They supply blood supply directly through renal arteries from the aorta and send the blood again to the heart through the renal veins to the vena cave.
The function of kidney is to monitor the quantity of fluid in the body, electrolytes such as potassium and sodium, and the acid balance of body. The waste products of the body are filtered by the body metabolism, such as urea from the protein and uric acid from the DNA breakdown. Blood Urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) are the two waste products in the blood may be measured.
Causes of kidney failure:
Acute situation or chronic situations are responsible for occurrence of the kidney failure. In acute situation, functions of the kidneys destroy quickly and may takes place from number of abuse to the body. Following are the causes of failure of kidney:
Prerenal causes (pre=before + renal=kidney): These causes are because of decreased blood supply to the kidney. Following are the examples of prerenal causes:
- Hypovolemia (low blood volume) due to blood loss
- Poor intake of fluids
- Dehydration from loss of body fluid (vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, fever )
- Loss of blood supply to the kidney due to obstruction of the renal artery or vein.
- Medication, for example, diuretics ("water pills") may cause excessive water loss.
Renal causes: This includes the following:
- Sepsis: The immune system of the body is overwhelmed from the infection and causes the blocking of kidney and inflammation but this doesn't happen with the urinary tract infection.
- Medications: Some of the medications are harmful for the kidney such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen and ibuprofen, aminoglycosides lithium,like eskalith and lithobid and iodine-containing medications.
- Multiple Myeloma
- Rhabdomyolysis: In this situation, muscle breakdown takes place in body. This takes place because of crush injuries and trauma. This is also caused because of some of the medications used for treating the cholesterol.
- Many of the diseases may cause the inflammation containing Wegener's granulomatosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Goodpasture syndrome. Post renal causes (post=after + renal= kidney): This causes outpouring of urine.
- Barrier of the ureters or the bladder may cause the back pressure when no place is available for the urine to go as kidney's working is continued. The kidney shuts down when pressure increases.
- Prostate cancer or prostatic hypertrophymay blocks urethra and preventing bladder from the emptying.
- Tumors in the abdomen that surround and obstruct the ureters.
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Chronic glomerulonephritis
- Poorly controlled high blood pressure
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Kidney stones
- Reflux nephropathy
- Prostate disease
Kidney Failure Symptoms:
- At the initial stage, it does not have kidney failure symptoms. As the disease increases that is decreases the functions of the body, kidney failure symptoms are inability to regulate the water and electrolytic balances for clearing the waste products of the body and promoting production of red blood cells. Weakness, lethargy, shortness of the breath, and the generalized swelling may takes place. Develop the situations which are untreated and unrecognized.
- Because of inability to manufacture bicarbonate, increased ability or metabolic acidosis may develop. These will then enzyme and the oxygen metabolism which causes the failure of organs.
- Increasing the urea level in blood may affecting on functions of organs ranging from the encephalopathy (brain) with the variation of thinking, to decreased muscle function, to inflammation of the heart lining (pericarditis) because of the low level of the calcium that is hypocalcemia
- Anemia is responsible for causing the weakness, decreasing red blood cells; due to lowering the levels of erythropoietin don't sufficiently inspire the bone marrow. After decreasing red blood cells, oxygen carrying capacity of blood becomes low, which results in decreasing the oxygen delivery to the cells, hence body tires quickly.
- After increasing the waste products in the blood, lethargy, loss of appetite and the fatigue becomes apparent. This leads to decreasing the mental function and coma may takes place.
- Because the kidneys cannot address the rising acid load in the body, breathing becomes more rapid as the lungs try to buffer the acidity by blowing off carbon dioxide. Blood pressure may rise because of the excess fluid, and this fluid can be deposited in the lungs, causing congestive heart failure.
Diagnosis of kidney failure:
Blood test is used for diagnosing the kidney failure which measures the building waste products in the blood. Creatinine and BUN become eminent, and decreases the glomerular filtration rate. This filters the blood through the kidney and measures based on the creatinine level race, age and the gender.
Urine test is also used for diagnosing the kidney failure. This test measures quantity of protein, Identify the abnormal cells or measures the electrolytes. Protein present in urine isn't regular and may be a sign which damages the kidneys. Irregular aggregations of white and red blood cells known as casts may be identified in urine with the disease of kidney. Concentration of electrolytes in blood and urine can be compare for deciding the kidneys are able to suitably monitor and filter the blood.
Some of the tests are used for diagnosing the type of failure of kidney. Abdominal ultrasound can charges kidney's size and recognize whether obstruction exits. A thin needle is used in the biopsy of kidney which is placed in the kidney through the skin for getting bits of the tissue which is examined under the microscope.
Treatment for kidney failure:
For the kidney failure, prevention is the primary goal. Diabetes and hypertension are the two chronic diseases are overwhelming due to damage that they may do to other organs and the kidneys. For keeping the blood sugar and blood pressure within the normal range, lifelong diligence is very important. The treatment is depends on the underlying diseases.
