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Regarded as one of the most insidious diseases, kidney failure can develop completely asymptomatically for up to 20-30 years! The body gives only residual signals that may indicate abnormalities. Learn the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney failure. »
The most common causes of kidney failure
In short, kidney failure is an impairment of kidney function. The pathological processes taking place in it mean that it gradually ceases to fulfill its function. As a result, the kidneys do not filter the blood properly, which leads to an accumulation of toxins and harmful waste products in the body. All this also disrupts the work of other organs, leading to a significant deterioration of the patient’s health.
Renal failure is divided into acute and chronic. In the first case, the symptoms appear suddenly and are usually so intense that they prompt the patient to seek medical help immediately. The cause of acute renal failure may be, for example, kidney stones, poisoning with a toxic substance or mechanical trauma.
The most common cause of chronic renal failure is diabetic nephropathy. The kidneys are damaged as a result of the chronic high blood sugar level. It is in second place in this infamous ranking hypertensive nephropathy. Too high blood pressure damages the structure of the kidney – over time, this organ stops fulfilling its function properly.
Less frequently, chronic renal failure is associated with the presence of cysts in this organ. Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disease characterized by the presence of fluid-filled cysts that reduce the amount of active parenchyma in the kidney. In addition, the disease can develop under the influence tubulo-interstitial kidney diseases.
What are the symptoms of kidney failure
The causes of acute kidney failure may be diarrhea, vomiting, fever, dehydration, nausea, etc. There may also be severe pain in the area of these organs – especially with kidney stones.
Much harder to recognize chronic symptoms failure kidney. Patients are often treated for other diseases for many years or they ignore disturbing symptoms and blame them on exhaustion or excessive stress. Meanwhile, one of the symptoms diseases kidney is chronic fatigue i feeling exhausted. The toxins accumulated in the body lead to over time problems with memory and concentration. They appear frequently sleep disturbance .
Another symptom of kidney failure is deterioration of the skin condition – it becomes dry and itchy. On top of that, they come to that bone diseases i heart problems. Kidneys that are not working properly are not able to excrete enough water from the body. Thereby they are swelling – especially around the legs and arms as well as the face, but also shortness of breath due to a build-up of fluid in the lungs. .
The most specific of all the symptoms that may make a patient worry about his or her own kidneys is change in frequency of urination. If you suddenly start visiting the toilet more or less often, and this does not mean changing your fluid intake habits, it is worth doing a basic examination. A disturbing signal is also a change in the color or smell of the urine, especially cloudiness or visible traces of blood in it.
How kidney failure should be diagnosed
The diagnosis of kidney failure is most often the result of tests carried out in connection with other diseases or ailments of the patient. The basis is general urine test. If the doctor finds there is protein in it, he or she will refer the patient to blood creatinine measurement. This test also enables the determination of the amount of glomerular filtration. The so-called eGFR indicator gives the doctor important information about the health and proper functioning of the kidneys.
The next step is to execute ultrasound examination. It allows the assessment of the structure of the kidneys, and thus – the scale of damage to this organ. Based on the results of all these tests, the nephrologist determines the appropriate treatment.
How to treat kidney failure
The mainstay of treatment for renal failure is removing the causewhich led to this state. Of course, not all diseases can be cured, but thanks to appropriate pharmacotherapy, changes in diet and lifestyle, their destructive impact on health can be significantly reduced. In the case of hypertension or diabetes, it is necessary to start treatment under the supervision of a specialist and strictly follow his guidelines.
It is extremely important too adjusting the amount of protein and salt in the diet and dealing with addiction smoking a cigarette. A balanced menu, proper hydration of the body and physical activity are the basis of health – regardless of whether we are already struggling with kidney failure or want to prevent the development of this disease.
It is also very important in treatment to limit consumption as much as possible nephrotoxic drugssuch as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, certain antibiotics. On the other hand, it may be necessary, for example, to take antihypertensive drugs, administer iron preparations and erythropoietin derivatives, or treat cardiovascular complications. The spectrum of therapy in renal failure is very wide and must be individually determined by a nephrologist.
In extreme cases, when the progressive kidney damage is so severe that conservative treatment does not provide sufficient results, the doctor may decide on the need for renal replacement therapy. We count to him kidney transplant peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. When it is not possible to carry out the so-called anticipatory transplant, the patient undergoes dialysis while awaiting transplant.
Research that saves health and life
Prophylactic urine testing can provide information about potential dangerous complications of kidney failure. Every adult should exercise general urine test once every 2-3 years. People over 55 and those at risk – once a year. You don’t need any symptoms to check that your kidneys are healthy and working properly. This simple examination makes it possible to detect disturbing changes at an early stage and, if necessary, initiate appropriate treatment.
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