Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys are functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as either acute kidney failure, which develops rapidly and may resolve; and chronic kidney failure, which develops slowly and can often be irreversible. Symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vomiting, loss of appetite, and confusion. Complications of acute and chronic failure include uremia, high blood potassium, and volume overload. Complications of chronic failure also include heart disease, high blood pressure, and anemia.
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms
can vary from person to person. Someone in early stage kidney disease may not
feel sick or notice symptoms as they occur. When the kidneys fail to filter
properly, waste accumulates in the blood and the body, a condition called azotemia.
Very low levels of azotaemia may produce few, if any, symptoms. If the disease
progresses, symptoms become noticeable (if the failure is of sufficient degree
to cause symptoms). Kidney failure accompanied by noticeable symptoms is
termed uraemia.
Symptoms
of kidney failure include the following:
·
High levels of urea in the blood,
which can result in:
o Vomiting or diarrhea (or
both) may lead to dehydration
o Nausea
o Weight loss
o Nocturnal urination (nocturia)
o More frequent urination, or in greater amounts than usual,
with pale urine
o Less frequent urination, or in smaller amounts than usual,
with dark coloured urine
o Blood in the urine
o Pressure, or difficulty urinating
o Unusual amounts of urination, usually in large quantities
·
A buildup of phosphates in
the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out may cause:
o Itching
o Bone damage
o Nonunion in broken bones
o Muscle cramps (caused by low levels of
calcium which can be associated with hyperphosphatemia)
·
A buildup of potassium in
the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out (called hyperkalemia)
may cause:
o Abnormal heart rhythms
o Muscle paralysis.
·
Failure of kidneys to remove excess fluid may
cause:
o Swelling of the hands, legs, ankles, feet, or face
o 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:
o Pain in the back or side
·
Healthy kidneys produce the hormone erythropoietin that
stimulates the bone marrow to make
oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail, they produce
less erythropoietin, resulting in decreased production of red blood cells to
replace the natural breakdown of old red blood cells. As a result, the blood
carries less hemoglobin, a condition known as anemia.
This can result in:
o Feeling tired or weak
o Memory problems
o Difficulty concentrating
o Dizziness
o Low blood pressure
·
Normally proteins are too large to pass through
the kidneys. However they are able to pass through when the glomeruli are
damaged. This does not cause symptoms until extensive kidney damage has
occurred, after which symptoms include:
o Foamy or bubbly urine
o Swelling in the hands, feet, abdomen, and face
·
Other symptoms include:
o Appetite loss, which may include a bad taste in the mouth
o Difficulty sleeping
o Darkening of the skin
o Excess protein in the blood
o With high doses of penicillin,
people with kidney failure may experience seizures
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