Kidney Failure

by J Hon
(USA)

Author: jhon

 


Kidney failure is the sudden loss of your kidneys2019 ability to perform their main function eliminates excess fluid and electrolytes as well as waste material from your blood. When your kidneys lose their filtering ability, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and waste accumulate in your body.


Acute kidney failure is most common in people who are already hospitalized, particularly people who need intensive care. Acute kidney failure tends to occur after complicated surgery, after a severe injury or when blood flow to your kidneys is disrupted. If the kidney function fails, the waste products accumulate in the blood and the body. The term for this build-up is azotaemia.


 


Symptoms


In general, the symptoms of kidney failure are the result of a slow build-up of waste in the blood and the gradual failure of the kidneys' regulatory functions.


Excess fluid builds up in the body because the failing kidneys are not producing enough urine. It can lead to a condition known as oedema.



Signs and symptoms may include some or many of the following:







  • High blood pressure





  • Decreased urine output or no urine output





  • Darkly colored urine





  • Anemia





  • Nausea or vomiting





  • Loss of appetite





  • Sudden weight change





  • A general sense of discomfort and unease (malaise)





  • Fatigue and weakness





  • Headaches that seem unrelated to any other cause





  • Sleep problems





  • Decreased mental sharpness





  • Pain along your side or mid to lower back







 


Chronic kidney failure can be difficult for you or your doctor to detect initially. Signs and symptoms are often nonspecific, meaning they can also be attributed to other illnesses.


 


Chronic kidney failure


Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is when one suffers from gradual and usually permanent loss of kidney function over time. This happens gradually over time, usually months to years. CKD is divided into 5 stages of increasing severity. Stage 5 chronic kidney failure is also referred to as end-stage renal disease,


Acute renal failure

this may occur with any serious illness or operation, particularly those complicated by severe infection. If the blood supply to the kidneys is reduced considerably from blood loss, a fall in blood pressure, severe dehydration or lack of salt, then the kidneys may be damaged.


 


Treatment



Many kidney diseases can be successfully treated if they are caught early. Unfortunately, there are a number of diseases where the cause isn2019t known or the underlying disease can2019t be cured.


 


Diet / Lifestyle Changes: A low-protein diet may help prevent the progression of kidney failure in addition to lessening the symptoms of toxin buildup.


Blood Pressure Control: High blood pressure has been consistently shown to worsen kidney failure, even if it not the original cause of it.


 


Hemodialysis is the most common method used to treat advanced and permanent kidney failure. Since the 1960s, when hemodialysis first became a practical treatment for kidney failure, we2019ve learned much about how to make hemodialysis treatments more effective and minimize side effects. In recent years, more compact and simpler dialysis machines have made home dialysis increasingly attractive. But even with better procedures and equipment, hemodialysis is still a complicated and inconvenient therapy that requires a coordinated effort from your whole health care team



 

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