Kidney failure is a condition that occurs when one or both the kidneys lose the ability to filter waste and excessive fluids from the blood. Kidney failure can be acute and develop suddenly or chronic and progress over time. Kidney failure, also known as renal failure, is the most severe stage of kidney disease.
Kidney Failure Symptoms
In the early stages of kidney disease, people may experience few or no symptoms at all. Since kidney failure is a severe form of kidney disease, it may cause the following symptoms:
Shortness of breath
Tiredness or fatigue
Nausea and vomiting
Difficulty concentrating or confusion
Changes in urine production and frequency
Dry, itchy or scaly skin
Swelling in the face, hands or ankles
Metallic taste in the mouth or poor appetite
Persistent discomfort or pain in the back
Kidney Failure Causes
Kidney failure doesn’t happen suddenly. In addition, diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of kidney failure. Other causes that may lead to kidney failure include:
Severe dehydration (drastically reduces the blood flow to kidneys)
Acute infections like sepsis (a condition in which the body does not respond properly to an infection)
Obstruction in the urinary tract (enlarged prostate, kidney stones, tumours)
Toxic reactions to certain medications or contrast dyes used for imaging scans
Chronic glomerulonephritis (inflammation in the filtering units of the kidneys)
Genetic disorders like polycystic kidney disease (fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys).
Kidney Failure Risk Factors
Kidney failure can affect anyone. However, an individual is at a higher risk of kidney failure if they:
Kidney Failure Diagnosis
A doctor may prescribe a variety of tests to evaluate kidney function and diagnose kidney failure. These tests may include:
Blood Tests
Blood tests for kidney failure diagnosis include:
Serum creatinine: Determines the level of creatinine (a waste product) in the blood. High creatinine levels indicate hampered kidney function.
BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen): Measures the level of urea nitrogen in the blood that increases with impaired kidney function.
Electrolytes: Tests electrolyte levels in the blood to assess the functioning of the kidneys.
GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate): Detects how well the kidney is filtering blood. Decreased levels of GFR indicate kidney failure.
Urine Tests
Urine tests measure specific substances in the urine, such as blood or protein.
Urinalysis: Evaluates the content, concentration and appearance of urine and reveals signs of kidney damage.
UACR (Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio): Measures the content of albumin (a type of protein) in the urine, relative to creatinine.
Imaging Tests
Common imaging tests for the diagnosis of kidney failure include:
Ultrasound: uses sound waves to create detailed images of the kidneys and detect abnormalities, if any.
CT- scan: creates cross-sectional images of the kidneys to identify structural abnormalities such as obstructions or tumours.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): creates detailed images of kidneys and surrounding structures.
Renal scan (kidney scan): A nuclear medicine scan that uses radioactive tracers to assess changes in kidney function and structure.
Intravenous pyelogram (IVP): An X-ray imaging technique that uses a contrast dye to visualise kidneys, ureters, bladders and identify obstructions or structural issues.
Cystoscopy: This procedure involves the use of a thin tube with a camera inserted into the bladder through the urethra to examine the urinary tract and identify issues with urine flow.
Kidney Failure Treatment
Medications
Medications play a crucial role in managing the symptoms of kidney failure and preventing kidney failure. The different types of medications prescribed for kidney failure include:
Blood pressure medications to control high blood pressure.
Diuretics to remove excess fluids and reduce swelling.
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) to treat anemia by stimulating bone marrow to produce red blood cells.
Phosphate binders to reduce phosphate levels in the blood and help prevent bone damage.
Vitamin D supplements to regulate calcium levels and support bone health.
Dialysis
Dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment for kidney failure that removes excess waste, toxins and solutes from the blood. The two main types of dialysis are:
Hemodialysis: A type of dialysis that filters excess fluids and waste products from the blood when the kidneys are no longer functioning properly.
Peritoneal dialysis: A kidney failure treatment uses abdominal lining to filter blood and remove excess waste or fluid.
Transplant
Often considered the best long-term treatment for kidney failure, a kidney transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces a damaged or diseased kidney with a healthy kidney from a donor.
Living donor transplant: In a living-donor kidney transplant, a donor’s healthy kidney is surgically removed and placed in a recipient whose kidneys are no longer functioning properly.
Deceased donor transplant: In a deceased-donor kidney transplant, a kidney from someone who recently passed away is placed in someone who needs a kidney.
Kidney Failure Prevention
Though kidney failure is irreversible, some preventive measures that can be taken to preserve kidney function include:
Maintain healthy blood sugar levels if you are diabetic
Ensure the blood pressure levels are in a normal range
Avoid the use of tobacco products
Eat a balanced, nutritious diet and avoid foods high in sodium and protein content
Get regular health check-ups.
FAQs
What is the best treatment for kidney failure?
Dialysis is a life-sustaining kidney failure treatment. However, individuals with severely reduced kidney function must consider a kidney transplant. In most cases, it is an effective treatment for advanced kidney disease and involves major surgery and taking immunosuppressants on a life-long basis.
Can you recover from kidney failure?
Acute kidney failure is usually short-term and its recovery time is short. Chronic kidney failure can be effectively treated with dialysis, a kidney transplant or supportive care.
Can kidney function be improved?
Making lifestyle changes such as dietary modifications, maintaining healthy blood pressure and sugar levels can help improve kidney function.
What is the best food for kidneys?
Some of the best healthy foods to restore and maintain healthy kidney function include:
Garlic
Egg whites
Cranberries
Apples
Red grapes
Fish.
