The kidneys are vulnerable organs and are susceptible to dangerous diseases. Kidney failure is a disease that many people worry about if they are unfortunate enough to have it. Early detection of kidney failure plays a very important role in helping to treat it more effectively. Below are some signs of kidney failure that you need to know to handle it promptly.
1. Overview of kidney failure
The kidneys are two organs located behind the back, on both sides of the spine and above the waist of our body. The kidneys help humans maintain life. This organ is responsible for filtering blood to remove waste and excess water, maintaining the balance of salt and electrolytes in the blood, and helping to regulate blood pressure.
1.1. What is kidney failure?
Kidney failure is a phenomenon in which the kidneys lose function. Kidney failure is caused by many reasons.
Kidney failure is a condition in which the kidneys lose function, causing many dangerous complications.
Kidneys are divided into two types based on the duration of the disease, including acute kidney failure and chronic kidney failure. Early recognition of the signs of kidney failure will make treatment easier later.
1.2. Can kidney failure be cured?
Acute kidney failure will appear in just a few days and can be cured or partially cured after being treated properly for a few weeks.
Chronic kidney failure is a progressive process that does not restore kidney function. Applying treatment measures only helps slow down the progression of the disease and helps limit complications. Once the kidney function is reduced by up to 90%, the patient with kidney failure needs to be treated with hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and can receive a kidney transplant if necessary.
Most types of kidney disease will affect the nephrons – the structural unit of the kidney. This impact makes the kidney no longer able to excrete waste products. If not treated promptly, the kidneys will stop working completely. Loss of kidney function is very dangerous and can cause death.
Kidney failure can lead to death.
Complications that kidney failure can cause include:
- Cardiovascular disease.
- Excessive fluid retention causes swelling of the hands and feet, high blood pressure, and acute pulmonary edema.
- Increased potassium levels in the blood can be life-threatening.
- Anemia.
- Reduced sexual desire.
- Damage to the central nervous system can cause the patient to lose concentration, have personality changes, or have seizures.
- Decreased immune response can make the patient susceptible to infection.
2. Causes of kidney failure
2.1. Causes of acute kidney failure
There are 3 main mechanisms:
- Lack of blood flow to the kidneys.
- Kidney disease.
- Obstruction of urine from leaving the kidneys.
Some common causes include:
- Trauma leading to blood loss.
- Dehydration.
- Kidney damage due to sepsis.
- Prostate enlargement.
- Kidney damage due to medication or poisoning.
- Complications during pregnancy: eclampsia, preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome.
2.2. Causes of chronic kidney failure
- Diabetes, high blood pressure.
Diabetes is the cause of kidney failure.
- Glomerulonephritis.
- Interstitial tubulointerstitial nephritis.
- Polycystic kidney disease.
- Long-term urinary tract obstruction, caused by prostate enlargement, kidney stones and cancer.
- Vesical ureteral reflux leads to urine flowing back into the kidney.
- Recurrent pyelonephritis.
3. Recognize the signs of kidney failure
In the early stages of kidney failure, the patient will have some of the following signs of kidney failure. If detected late and treated late, the disease will progress to chronic kidney disease, which is very dangerous:
3.1. Difficulty sleeping
Patients with chronic kidney disease often have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes one or more pauses in breathing during sleep. The pauses can last from a few seconds to 1 minute. After the pauses, the patient’s breathing will return to normal with a loud snorting sound. Loud and prolonged snoring is a concern and should be checked out early.
Difficulty sleeping is a notable sign of kidney failure
3.2. Headache, fatigue and weakness
Most patients with chronic kidney disease have anemia. Anemia occurs when the kidney’s performance is at 20 – 50%. If your body has rested and slept enough but still feels tired and lacks vitality, you need to go to the hospital immediately for a check-up.
3.3. Dry and itchy skin
Healthy kidneys will perform well in removing waste and excess substances from the blood, supporting the production of red blood cells and helping to maintain appropriate mineral levels for the patient. If the skin is dry and itchy, this is a sign of kidney failure that needs attention.
3.4. Bad breath with a metallic taste
When waste accumulates in the blood, it changes the taste of food and leaves a metallic taste in the patient’s mouth. Bad breath is a manifestation of the accumulation of many toxins in the blood. In addition, the patient will no longer feel like eating meat and will not feel good when eating, which can easily cause weight loss due to malnutrition.
3.5. Shortness of breath
Patients with kidney failure may experience shortness of breath, especially after strenuous activities related to two mechanisms. First, the body will have fluid retention due to ineffective kidney filtration and impaired lung function. Next, the lack of red blood cells affects the process of transporting oxygen to the body and causes shortness of breath.
3.6. Back pain
A common sign of kidney failure is back pain located below the rib cage and the patient may feel the pain spreading to the front of the pelvis or hips.
Back pain is a common condition in patients with kidney failure.
3.7. High blood pressure
The circulatory system and the kidneys are closely related. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste from the blood. If the blood vessels are affected, the nephrons that filter the blood will not be provided with enough oxygen and nutrients.
3.8. Changes in urination
The kidneys play a role in producing urine and removing waste through the urinary tract. Therefore, do not be subjective about changes such as frequency, smell, color, number of times urinating per day, bloody urine, etc.
Thus, the above article has provided readers with signs of kidney failure that everyone needs to know to help protect the health of themselves and their loved ones.