Kidneys disease

 

Kidneys disease

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. Your kidneys filter extra water and wastes out of your blood and make urine. Kidney disease means your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood the way they should.

When the kidneys are abruptly unable to filter waste from the blood, acute kidney failure develops. In addition, dangerous levels of waste may build up when the kidneys lose their filtering capacity and the chemical composition of the blood may go out of balance.

You are at greater risk for kidney disease if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. If you experience kidney failure, treatments include kidney transplant or dialysis. Other kidney problems include acute kidney injury, kidney cysts, kidney stones, and kidney infections.

Kidney Disease Symptoms

Your kidneys are very adaptable. They can compensate for some of the problems that can happen when you have kidney disease. So if your kidney damage gets worse slowly, your symptoms will reveal themselves slowly over time. In fact, you may not feel symptoms until your disease is advanced.

You might have:

• High blood pressure
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• A  metallic taste in your mouth
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Trouble thinking
•  sleep issues
• Muscle twitches  and  cramps
• Swelling in your  feet and ankles
• Itching that won't go away
• chest pain, if fluid builds up around the lining of the  heart
• Shortness of breath, if fluid builds up in the  lungs

 

 

 

 

What is acute kidney injury (AKI)?

Acute kidney injury (AKI), also known as acute renal failure (ARF), is a sudden episode of kidney failure or kidney damage that happens within a few hours or a few days. AKI causes a build-up of waste products in your blood and makes it hard for your kidneys to keep the right balance of fluid in your body. AKI can also affect other organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs. Acute kidney injury is common in patients who are in the hospital, in intensive care units, and especially in older adults.

What are the signs and symptoms of acute kidney injury?

Signs and symptoms of acute kidney injury differ depending on the cause and may include:

 

• Too little urine leaving the body
• Swelling in legs, ankles, and around the eyes
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Seizures or coma in severe cases
• Chest pain or pressure

In some cases, AKI causes no symptoms and is only found through other tests done by your healthcare provider.

 

 

 

 

Diagnosis

If your signs and symptoms suggest that you have acute kidney failure, your doctor may recommend certain tests and procedures to verify your diagnosis. These may include:

·         Urine output measurements. Measuring how much you urinate in 24 hours may help your doctor determine the cause of your kidney failure.

·         Urine tests. Analyzing a sample of your urine (urinalysis) may reveal abnormalities that suggest kidney failure.

·         Blood tests. A sample of your blood may reveal rapidly rising levels of urea and creatinine — two substances used to measure kidney function.

·         Imaging tests. Imaging tests such as ultrasound and computerized tomography may be used to help your doctor see your kidneys.

·         Removing a sample of kidney tissue for testing. In some situations, your doctor may recommend a kidney biopsy to remove a small sample of kidney tissue for lab testing. Your doctor inserts a needle through your skin and into your kidney to remove the sample.

 

Treatment

Treatment for acute kidney failure typically requires a hospital stay. Most people with acute kidney failure are already hospitalized. How long you'll stay in the hospital depends on the reason for your acute kidney failure and how quickly your kidneys recover.

In some cases, you may be able to recover at home.

Treating the underlying cause of your kidney injury

Treatment for acute kidney failure involves identifying the illness or injury that originally damaged your kidneys. Your treatment options depend on what's causing your kidney failure.

Treating complications until your kidneys recover

Your doctor will also work to prevent complications and allow your kidneys time to heal. Treatments that help prevent complications include:

 

 

 

 

·         Treatments to balance the amount of fluids in your blood. If your acute kidney failure is caused by a lack of fluids in your blood, your doctor may recommend intravenous (IV) fluids. In other cases, acute kidney failure may cause you to have too much fluid, leading to swelling in your arms and legs. In these cases, your doctor may recommend medications (diuretics) to cause your body to expel extra fluids.

 

·         Medications to control blood potassium. If your kidneys aren't properly filtering potassium from your blood, your doctor may prescribe calcium, glucose or sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kionex) to prevent the accumulation of high levels of potassium in your blood. Too much potassium in the blood can cause dangerous irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and muscle weakness.

·         Medications to restore blood calcium levels. If the levels of calcium in your blood drop too low, your doctor may recommend an infusion of calcium.

 

 

·         Dialysis to remove toxins from your blood. If toxins build up in your blood, you may need temporary hemodialysis — often referred to simply as dialysis — to help remove toxins and excess fluids from your body while your kidneys heal. Dialysis may also help remove excess potassium from your body. During dialysis, a machine pumps blood out of your body through an artificial kidney (dialyzer) that filters out waste. The blood is then returned to your body.