Kidney Failure: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Needless to say, your kidneys play an incredibly important role in filtering waste from your blood, and therefore maintain healthy functioning of the body. Blood pressure, production of red blood cells, and electrolyte balance, all of these are regulated by the proper functioning of the kidneys. Kidney failure causes too much build-up of waste nitrogen products,acids and/or excess fluid,which causes major cardio respiratory problem to the patient.

Symptoms-

• Shortness of breath 
• A reduced amount of urine
• Swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet
• Excessive drowsiness or fatigue  
• Confusion
• persistent nausea
• Pain or pressure in your chest
• Seizures
• Coma 

Inability to properly remove potassium that runs in the bloodstream can lead to irregular heartbeat and ultimately, death that is sudden and unforeseen.

How can it be treated?

End-stage of Kidney disease
In the case that your kidneys are unable to keep up with fluid and waste clearance as is normally expected, then there’s a good chance that you have developed a near-complete or complete case of kidney-failure, and are afflicted by end-stage kidney disease. If this is indeed the case, then you have two options to resort to:

• Dialysis: This helps remove the extra waste products that the kidneys fail to do. In haemodialysis, fluid and waste filtering takes place with the aid of a machine that drives these excesses from the blood. In peritoneal dialysis, catheters are employed to rid the body of the accumulated waste products.
• Transplant: Kidney transplants involve a surgical placement of a healthy kidney in your system from a compatible donor, either living or dead. Medications will be a necessity since the body has to be prevented from rejecting this new organ.

You may also opt for treating the condition with conservative measures in case you don’t want to resort to the aforementioned procedures.

Acute renal failure is an exceptional condition that befalls when the kidney loses the ability to eradicate salts, waste material and fluid from the blood. Since waste elimination is the core function of the kidney, failure to do so results in body fluids rising to dangerous levels. Acute renal failure is often witnessed by people who are already under medical supervision. The condition can aggravate in a matter of few days to few weeks. It is potentially a life-threatening condition and requires expert medical care under supervision.

Potential causes of acute renal failure: There could be a flurry of reasons for a renal failure. Some of the common ones include conditions that slow down the flow of blood to the kidney, kidney gets directly damage, the uterus gets blocked and the waste can’t leave the body through the urine etc. Here is more on the causes:

1. Kidney failure due to slow blood flow to the kidney: Some diseases or conditions that might slow down the flow of blood to the kidney include fluid loss, heart attack, allergic reaction, infection, extreme dehydration, cardiac diseases, liver failure, consumption of blood pressure related medication, use of drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen etc., severe burns etc.
2. Kidney failure due to a direct damage to the kidneys: Some of the agents/diseases or condition that can directly damage the kidneys include
   1. Cancer of the plasma cells
   2. Premature destruction of the RBC, a condition known as the Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome
   3. Certain medication including but not limited to chemotherapy drugs, dyes that are utilized in imagery tests, zoledronic acid etc.
   4. An inflammation of the blood vessels
   5. A disorder of the immune system leading to glomerulonephritis. This condition is known as lupus
   6. A rare disease affecting the connective tissues and skin, known as scleroderma.
   7. Inflammation of the kidney filters known as glomerulonephritis
   8. Consumption of certain toxins including but not limited to heavy metals, alcohol, cocaine etc
   9. A blood disorder, known as the Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Renal failure due to blockage of the urine: There are certain conditions, diseases that can block the passage of urine leading to acute renal failure. The urinary obstruction can result from an array of conditions including enlarged prostate, kidney stones, blood clots in the tract of the urine, cancer in the bladder, cancer in the colon, damage of the nerve that controls the bladder, cancer-related to the cervics etc.
Some special condition: Apart from the condition mentioned-above, there are certain disorders that can lead to acute renal failure due to clotting of the blood vessels. Some of the conditions are malignant hypertension, hemolytic uremic syndrome, transfusion reaction, ITTP, scleroderma etc.

A lot of bad things can and do happen when the kidneys fail.  The kidneys are vital for proper bodily functioning because they filter liquid and solid waste products out of the blood and allow vital chemicals (which the body needs for functioning) to flow into the body through the bloodstream.  People can become very sick when the kidneys either fail to perform these functions or fail to perform them properly.  Many people will get chronic kidney disease, therefore, they need to know what the causes and symptoms are in order to treat, and even prevent these diseases from occurring.

People who suddenly experience the following symptoms should see a nephrologist as soon as possible for a medical examination:  blood or protein in the urine, kidney stones, acute kidney injury, kidney infections, and/or pain, and Hepatitis C and kidney disease.  

Blood in the urine can be a sign of kidney problems which can lead to kidney disease.  Additionally, people who urinate frothy or bubbly urine, or have swelling in the hands, face, and feet should see a doctor because this is a sign of protein in the urine.  Protein in the urine can be detected by a urine test.  Kidney stones can be very painful and are problematic.  They are caused by mineral buildup in the kidneys.  Men and white people tend to get kidney stones more, and they can cause blood in the urine, painful urination, sharp lower abdominal or back pain, and nausea and vomiting.

Acute kidney injury occurs when the kidneys stop functioning altogether in a short period of time.  Because this disease can be deadly, those with this disease should get immediate medical help.  Usually, the very sick patients in hospitals get this disease, but it can also be caused by certain medicines, injury, or infections.  This type of kidney disease is easily reversible. 

Symptoms include

1. Not passing enough urine when urinating
2. Leg, ankle, or feet swelling
3. Fatigue
4. Breathing problems
5. Confusion
6. Nausea, and chest pressure or pain. 

Kidney infections tend to be caused by bacteria that have spread from the urinary tract.  Women, because of their anatomy, tend to get kidney infections more than men. 

Symptoms include:

1. Fever
2. Vomiting
3. Back, side or groin pain
4. Chills
5. Nausea
6. Frequent urination
7. Frequent urges to urinate
8. Painful or burning urination
9. Pus or blood in the urine
10. Cloudy or foul-smelling urine

Kidney pain in the lower back or sides can signify more serious kidney problems.  They can be caused by urinary tract infections, polycystic kidney disease, kidney infections, blood clots, and/or bleeding in the kidneys.  
Hepatitis C is a disease that attacks the liver and can cause kidney disease.  

Symptoms include

1. Loss of appetite
2. Nausea
3. Fever
4. Fatigue
5. Vomiting
6. Dark colored urine
7. Grey colored stool
8. Joint pain
9. Yellow skin and eyes

While kidney diseases are at best unpleasant, and at worst, life-threatening, they can be avoided by drinking lots of water, eating a healthy low salt diet, and watching for any changes in health and urine over time. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
 

You may experience a kidney failure when your kidneys are unable to filter waste from your blood in a sufficient amount. Several factors such as toxic exposure to pollutants, extreme dehydration, kidney trauma and other chronic diseases may lead to kidney failure. The body gets overloaded with toxins, which may trigger the kidney failure.

General causes
People prone to kidney failure generally suffer from one or several of these following conditions:

1. Loss of blood flow to the kidney
2. Sudden loss of blood flow into the kidney may cause kidney failure. Several conditions and diseases such as heart attack, heart diseases, severe burns, allergic reactions, severe infections or scarring of the liver may cause loss of blood. Anti-inflammatory medicines as well as medicines for blood pressure are used for managing blood flow.
3. Diabetes and High Blood Pressure are one of the main cause of chronic kidney disease. Controlling blood sugar levels and maintain blood pressure in normal range can prevent kidney failure.
4. Problems with elimination of urine
5. When the body is unable to eliminate urine, toxins are built up, which cause overloading of the kidneys. The urine passageways may get blocked due to certain types of cancers, such as colon, bladder and cervical cancer.
6. Several other conditions such as kidney stones, an enlarged prostate and blood clots developing within the urinary tract can lead to problems with urine elimination.

Other causes
Many other conditions may lead to kidney failure. These include blood clots around the kidney, infections, toxic overload from heavy metals, alcohol and drugs. Others include:

1. An inflammatory disease of blood vessels
2. Lupus, an autoimmune disease, which causes inflammation of several organs of the body
3. Glomerulonephritis, a condition which involves inflammation of blood vessels of the kidney
4. Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition where red blood cells are broken down after a bacterial infection
5. Multiple myelomas, a cancer of the plasma cells present in the bone marrow
6. Scleroderma, an autoimmune disease in which your skin is affected
7. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disorder causing blood clots in small vessels
8. Chemotherapy drugs, which are used for cancer treatment
9. Certain dyes used for imaging tests
10. Several antibiotic medicines

Symptoms
There are several symptoms, which indicate kidney failure. In some cases, symptoms are not experienced. Generally, the common symptoms of kidney failure include the following:

1. Reduced amount of urine
2. Swelling of ankles, feet and legs due to fluid retention as the kidneys cannot eliminate sufficient waste
3. Shortness of breath
4. Fatigue and drowsiness
5. Nausea
6. Feeling confused
7. Pain and pressure in the chest
8. Seizures and coma

There are several types of kidney failure in general. They include acute prerenal kidney failure, acute intrinsic kidney failure, chronic prerenal kidney failure, chronic intrinsic kidney failure and chronic post-renal kidney failure. It is recommended that you consult a doctor upon experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Acute kidney failure is the kidney's inability to filter waste from the blood. As soon as the kidney loses the filtering ability, a humungous amount of body waste gets accumulated in the kidney and the chemical makeup of the body goes out of balance. Kidney or renal failure can progress tremendously from hours to days. This is a condition that is mostly witnessed in critical patients who are already hospitalized. This condition can prove to be fatal but can be reversed with treatment and medication. Here is a list of things one should do whilst suffer from kidney failure:

Lifestyle and dietary adjustments
During the phase of recovery, the medical team might assist a patient to go a special diet and limit the activity of the kidney so that they get the required time to heal. A nephrologist often routes this cases to a dietician or carefully analyses the present diet to lock up on the diet required for a speedy recovery:
Lower amount of potassium in food: Food with low potassium content is often recommended by the doctor. It ensures that kidney does not stress itself. Foods to avoid include spinach, bananas, oranges, tomato and potato. Some of the foods that need to be included in the diet are cabbage, strawberries, apples and grapes. Furthermore, food must be consumed in small quantities but in multiple servings.
Limit the amount of phosphorus in food: Phosphorus is found in abundant quantities in food items such as peanut butter, milk, dried beans, cheese and nuts. Along with skin itchiness, phosphorus can weaken the bone as well. A dietitian might share special instructions on how to cut down the amount of phosphorus and the substitute food to counter the effect of the above-mentioned ones.

Preventive measures to avoid kidney failure:

1. OTC pain medications: It is necessary to check the label of over the counter pain medications. Consumption of too many OTC medications can result in kidney failure. A pre-existing kidney condition can further aggravate this condition.
2. A healthy lifestyle: A sensible lifestyle with simple diet can do wonders for a kidney to be healthy in the long-term. Some of the other things to keep in mind include doing regular exercise, refrain from alcohol or drug abuse and remain active throughout the day.
3. Consult a doctor: Even a hint of a kidney problem should be discussed with a doctor to ensure that even the smallest of problems can be addressed at the earliest.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!