- Urinating (peeing) less often than usual or not at all
- Trouble concentrating
- Shortness of breath
- Itchy and/or dry skin
- Achy muscles or cramping
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling tired
- Numbness or swelling in your arms, legs, ankles, or feet
- Trouble sleeping
- Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney failure, contributing to about two-thirds of the cases. Both conditions can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys over time, impairing their ability to filter waste and excess fluids.
- Other conditions like IgA nephropathy, where an antibody builds up in the kidneys, and lupus nephritis, which is inflammation caused by lupus, can also lead to kidney damage. Polycystic kidney disease, where cysts form in the kidneys, and Fabry disease, a genetic condition, are additional causes of kidney problems.
- Social and environmental factors, such as smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and exposure to toxins, can further increase the risk of kidney disease. For instance, certain medications, obesity, and even chronic dehydration can harm kidney function over time.
- Anemia: When the kidneys fail, they produce less erythropoietin, a hormone that helps the bone marrow make red blood cells. This can lead to anemia, causing fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.
- Metabolic Acidosis: The kidneys are responsible for maintaining the body’s pH balance. When they fail, the body can accumulate excess acid, leading to metabolic acidosis. This can cause symptoms like rapid breathing, confusion, and lethargy.
- Mineral and Bone Disorder: Kidneys help regulate levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood, and kidney failure disrupts this balance. This can lead to weak bones (osteoporosis) and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It can also cause calcification in blood vessels and organs, leading to further complications.
- Hyperkalemia: High potassium levels in the blood can be dangerous, potentially causing abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) or even cardiac arrest. Kidney failure impairs the body’s ability to filter out excess potassium, making this a serious concern.
Treatments
There is no cure for kidney failure, but with treatment it is possible to live a longer and productive life.
- Dialysis: You might want to explain the process and frequency of each type. For example, hemodialysis typically requires sessions 3 times a week, while peritoneal dialysis can be done daily but requires more time for each session. It might also be useful to mention potential complications or side effects of each dialysis type.
- Kidney Transplant: It could be helpful to mention that kidney transplants require a good match between the donor and the recipient, and that there is often a long waiting list for a transplant. Post-transplant care also includes lifelong medications to prevent the body from rejecting the new kidney.
- Conservative Management: You could elaborate on the role of palliative care, and how the focus shifts to symptom management, such as pain control and managing the symptoms of kidney failure without the use of dialysis or a transplant. This approach is especially chosen for patients who might not be candidates for other treatments due to their health conditions.
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