 |
The most common causes of kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure. Diabetes can cause kidney failure if a person does not manage their diabetes properly. If too much sugar (glucose) is in the blood, it can attack tiny units inside the kidney called nephrons. It is these nephrons that carry out the filtering process, so if they do not work, the kidney will stop functioning. High blood pressure causes damage by putting strain on the small blood vessels in the kidneys. This prevents the filtering process from working properly.
Causes
Symptoms
Exams and Tests
Diagnosis
Treatment
Managing Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease
Self-Care for Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease Patients
Caring for those with Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease
Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease
Other causes include:
- A kidney inflammation called glomerulonephritis;
- Kidney infections such as pyelonephritis;
- Polycystic kidney disease, an inherited condition in which both kidneys are several times the normal size, due to the gradual growth of masses of cysts;
- Nephrosclerosis, in which hardening of the kidneys occurs as a result of disease of the arteries;
- Failure of normal kidney development in an unborn baby while developing in the womb;
- Systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease of the immune system where the body attacks the kidney as though it were foreign tissue;
- Malaria;
- Yellow fever and jaundice;
- Certain medicines;
- Blockages (for example, due to kidney stones); and
- A sharp blow or physical injury to the kidney.
Source: National Health Service – United Kingdom
Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease
Usually kidney failure is a gradual process. Kidneys can carry out their normal functions even if only one is working, or if they are partially damaged. This means it can take a long time for any effects to be felt. When symptoms do appear, they are quite variable between people, and often it is hard to pinpoint the cause.
Symptoms can include:
- Tiredness,
- Increasing need to urinate especially at night,
- Itchy skin,
- Nausea,
- Erectile dysfunction,
- Shortness of breath,
- Swollen ankles, feet or hands (due to water retention), and
- Blood and/or protein in the urine.
If kidney failure has been caused by a sudden injury, these symptoms can appear rapidly, and may progress quickly to seizures, coma and potentially death.
Source: National Health Service – United Kingdom
Exams and Tests For Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease
Testing for chronic kidney disease includes blood tests along with other diagnostic testing.
Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease Diagnosis
After checking for symptoms, a number of tests can help diagnose kidney failure:
- Blood test - to find out if waste substances have been filtered out
- Urine test – to see if there is blood or protein in the urine.
- Kidney scans such as MRI scan, CT scan or ultrasound – to find if there are any unusual blockages in urine flow. When kidney disease is advanced, the kidneys are shrunken, have an uneven shape and are firm to touch.
- Kidney biopsy – taking a small sample of tissue to test the cells and look for damage
- Calculating the glomerular filtration rate – to check how efficiently the kidneys are filtering waste, in particular a substance called creatinine
Source: National Health Service – United Kingdom
Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment
Depending on the cause of kidney failure, the early stages may be slowed down or improved by treating the underlying cause.
Changing your diet can ease the strain on the kidneys, for example reducing intake of protein and phosphate. Foods that are rich in protein include eggs, meat and milk. The body needs some proteins to keep healthy but a doctor or nutritionist can advise on the amount that should be eaten. Foods such as muesli, and some seafood and cheeses, are rich in phosphate. It is extremely difficult to cut out all phosphates so medicines called phosphate binders may be prescribed to prevent this mineral from being absorbed into the blood.
Certain drugs, such as ACE inhibitors, can also be prescribed to lower blood pressure and help the kidneys to function.
In cases of full kidney failure (of both kidneys), two main options are open to the medical team: dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Source: National Health Service – United Kingdom
Managing Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease
A number of measures can be taken to help protect yourself from kidney failure:
- Avoid severe dehydration, especially for those who are in a risk group (such as diabetics).
- Diabetics should also make sure their blood sugar levels are kept under control.
- Maintain a healthy blood pressure (neither too high or too low). This means having a healthy diet (particularly avoiding added salt) and lifestyle (for example, taking gentle exercise and avoiding stress) and taking medication prescribed by your GP.
- Reduce the amount of cholesterol in diets – cholesterol increases blood pressure and thus impairs kidney function.
- Do not smoke.
Self-Care For Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease Patients
Early diagnosis and appropriate management of chronic kidney disease, including self-management activities such as self-help courses, weight control, a healthy diet and physical activity can help people with chronic kidney disease function better, stay productive, and minimize health care costs.
Source: Adapted from National Institutes for Health
Caring For Those With Chronic Kidney Disease/End-Stage Renal Disease
Friends and family members can help a patient with chronic kidney disease by learning about that condition and understanding how it affects the patient's life. Friends and family can provide emotional and physical assistance. Their support, as well as support from other people who have the same disease, can make it easier to cope.
Source: Adapted from National Institutes of Health
|
|