Your kidneys are responsible for blood cleaning, filtering out extra water from your blood, and regulating your blood pressure. Kidney disease affects the kidneys’ proper functioning, impairing all the listed processes. In addition, kidney disease may affect the production of red blood cells and vitamin D metabolism, which is essential for healthy bones.
Kidney disease causes
Acute kidney disease causes
Acute renal failure, also called acute kidney injury, occurs when the kidneys suddenly stop working. The primary causes of acute kidney injury are:
- Insufficient blood flow in the kidneys
- Urine backs up to the kidneys
- Direct damage to the kidneys
Listed conditions can result from:
- The traumatic injury with significant loss of blood
- The shock that is caused by a severe infection known as sepsis
- The dehydration or breakdown of the muscle tissue that sends too many proteins into the bloodstream
- An enlarged prostate that blocks the urine flow
- Complications during pregnancy, including eclampsia and preeclampsia
- Taking specific drugs or being around certain toxins that cause kidney damage directly
Chronic kidney disease causes
Chronic kidney disease is the condition when your kidneys do not work correctly for longer than three months.
Chronic kidney disease results from the disease or condition that impairs kidney function for several months or years, causing kidney damage to worsen over time.
Diseases and health conditions that may cause chronic kidney damage include:
- High blood pressure
- Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Glomerulonephritis. It is the inflammation of the filtering units in the kidney (glomeruli)
- Pyelonephritis (recurrent kidney infection)
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Inherited kidney diseases
- Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract, which may occur as a result of an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, or some types of cancer
- Interstitial nephritis. It is an inflammation of the tubules and surrounding structures of the kidneys
- Vesicoureteral reflux. It is a condition causing urine to back up into your kidneys
Kidney disease symptoms
The early stage of chronic kidney disease can be asymptomatic. However, you may experience several kidney disease symptoms as the disease progresses. A loss of kidney function may result in a buildup of fluid or body waste or even electrolyte imbalance. Depending on the severity, loss of kidney function may result in:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Sleep problems
- Dry, itchy skin
- Fatigue and weakness
- Urinating more or less than usual
- Shortness of breath (in case of fluid buildup in the lungs)
- Decreased mental sharpness
- Chest pain, if fluid builds up around the lining of the heart
- Swelling of feet and ankles
- Hypertension that is difficult to control
- A metallic taste in your mouth
Kidney disease treatment
Depending on the severity of your condition, some kidney diseases can be treated. However, chronic kidney diseases are usually untreatable.
Kidney disease treatment typically includes methods that can help slow down the progression of the disease, improve symptoms and signs of the disease, and lower complications. If your kidneys are severely damaged, you may require treatment for end-stage kidney disease.
The purpose of the treatment is to control or slow down the cause of your kidney disease. The treatment methods depend on the cause of your kidney disease. However, in some cases, kidney damage can worsen even if an underlying condition, like diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure, is controlled.
Treating complications
Your doctor may prescribe you treatment that helps control kidney complications to increase the quality of your life. Such treatment options include:
- Medications to control high blood pressure
- Medications for anemia treatment
- Medications for bones protection
- Medications that help relieve swelling
- Medications lowering the levels of cholesterol
- A low-protein diet (to minimize waste products in your blood)
In addition, follow-up tests may be recommended to determine whether your kidney disease remains stable or progresses.
End-stage kidney disease treatment
End-stage kidney disease occurs when the kidneys cannot excrete waste and control fluid clearance on their own. At this stage, complete or near-complete kidney failure occurs. In this case, the patient requires dialysis or a kidney transplant.
- Dialysis. Dialysis is a procedure used to artificially remove waste products and extra fluid from the blood when the kidneys cannot do it. Hemodialysis involves removing waste products from the blood through a machine. Peritoneal dialysis involves the insertion of a thin tube into the abdomen to fill the abdominal cavity with a dialysis solution absorbing excess fluid and waste.
- Kidney transplant. A kidney transplant involves the surgical implantation of a healthy kidney from a donor into your body. The transplanted kidney may be received from a deceased or alive donor. In order to prevent your body from rejecting the transplanted kidney, you will need to take medication for the rest of your life.
Supplement to improve kidneys function
You may also try the Khavinson peptide supplement known as Pielotax to cure your mild kidney disease. Pielotax is a cytomax containing peptide bioregulators isolated from kidney tissue of healthy calves under the age of one. This Khavinsom peptide supplement is focused on the prevention and complex treatment of urinary system disease.
The kidney bioregulator peptides act in a targeted way on the nephrons (kidney cells), enhancing protein production, cell metabolism, and nutrition. Therefore, the healing processes within the tissue of the organ are enhanced. In addition, the work of the kidneys and the whole urinary system is improved.
Click here to read more about Pielotax.
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