Kidney failure symptoms

Kidney failure symptoms

High levels of urea in the blood, which can result in:
-Vomiting and/or diarrhoea, which may lead to dehydration
-Nausea
-Weight loss
-Nocturnal urination
-Foamy or bubbly urine
-More frequent urination, or in greater amounts than usual, with pale urine
-Less frequent urination, or in smaller amounts than usual, with dark coloured urine
-Blood in the urine
-Pressure, or difficulty urinating

A build up of phosphates in the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out may cause:
-Itching
-Bone damage
-Muscle cramps (caused by low levels of calcium which can cause hypocalcaemia)

A build up of potassium in the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out (called hyperkalemia) may cause:
-Abnormal heart rhythms
-Muscle paralysis

Failure of kidneys to remove excess fluid may cause:
-Swelling of the legs, ankles, feet, face and/or hands
-Shortness of breath due to extra fluid on the lungs (may also be caused by anemia)

Polycystic kidney disease, which causes large, fluid-filled cysts on the kidneys and sometimes the liver, can cause:

-Pain in the back or side
- Healthy kidneys produce the hormone erythropoietin which stimulates the bone marrow to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail they produce less erythropoietin resulting in less red blood cells being produced to replace the natural breakdown of old red blood cells. As a result the blood carries less haemoglobin, which is known as anemia. This can result in:
-Feeling tired and/or weak
-Memory problems
-Difficulty concentrating
-Dizziness
-Low blood pressure

Other symptoms include:
-Appetite loss, a bad taste in the mouth
-Difficulty sleeping
-Darkening of the skin
Causes of kidney failure

Acute kidney failure usually occurs as the result of a sudden interruption in the blood supply to the kidney, or as a result of a toxic overload of the kidneys. Some causes of acute failure include accidents, injuries or complications from surgery where the kidneys are deprived of normal blood flow for an extended period of time. Heart-bypass surgery is an example of a situation in which the kidneys receive reduced blood flow.

Drug overdoses, whether accidental or from chemical overloads of drugs such as antibiotics or chemotherapy, may also cause the onset of acute kidney failure. Unlike in chronic kidney disease, however, the kidneys can often recover from acute failure, allowing the patient to resume a normal life. People suffering from acute failure require supportive treatment until their kidneys recover function, and they often remain at an increased risk of developing future kidney failure.

Causes of chronic kidney disease

There are many causes of CKD. The most common cause is diabetes mellitus. The second most common cause is long-standing, uncontrolled, hypertension. Polycystic kidney disease is also a well known cause of chronic kidney disease. The majority of people afflicted with polycystic kidney disease have a family history of the disease. Many other genetic illnesses also affect kidney function. Overuse of some common drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, cocaine and acetaminophen can also cause chronic kidney damage.