Kidney disease

Kidney disease represents a significant health concern that affects kidney function. These diseases can be classified into two primary categories: acute kidney disease and chronic kidney disease.

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Depiction of types of kidney disease

Acute kidney disease

Acute kidney disease, or acute kidney failure, involves a rapid decline in kidney function, typically manifesting in less than two days. This rapid deterioration affects the kidneys' capacity to eliminate waste and maintain electrolyte balance.

Causes

Various factors can lead to acute kidney damage, including:

• Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) – where the tubule cells of the kidneys are damaged.
• Autoimmune kidney disorders.
• Blood clot due to cholesterol (cholesterol emboli).
• Reduced blood flow stemming from extremely low blood pressure resulting from burns, dehydration, hemorrhage, injury, septic shock, severe illness, or surgery.
• Disorders causing clotting within the kidney blood vessels.
• Kidney infections such as acute pyelonephritis or septicemia.
• Pregnancy complications including placenta abruption or placenta previa.
• Blockages in the urinary tract.
• Illicit drug use, e.g., cocaine and heroin.
• Certain medications including NSAIDs, specific antibiotics, blood pressure medications, intravenous contrast (dye), certain cancer and HIV drugs.

Symptoms

Symptoms of acute kidney disease might encompass:

• Bloody stools or nosebleeds.
• Odorous breath and a metallic taste in the mouth.
• Bruising easily and prolonged bleeding.
• Changes in mental clarity or mood swings.
• Reduced appetite.
• Decreased sensitivity, especially in extremities.
• Feeling fatigued or slow movements.
• Flank pain.
• Trembling hands or heart murmurs.
• Elevated blood pressure.
• Persistent nausea, vomiting, or hiccups.
• Fluid retention leading to swelling in legs, ankles, and feet.
• Alterations in urination patterns.

Exams and Tests

To diagnose acute kidney disease, healthcare professionals will:

• Conduct a thorough physical examination.
• Recommend tests like BUN, Serum creatinine, Serum potassium, Creatinine clearance, and Urinalysis.
• Opt for kidney or abdominal ultrasound to identify any urinary tract blockages. Additionally, X-ray, CT scan, or MRI of the abdomen might also be utilized.

Treatment

Treatment for acute kidney disease focuses on:

• Determining and addressing the underlying cause.
• Regulating fluid intake based on urine output.
• Dietary adjustments to reduce toxin build-up.
• Antibiotic administration to treat or stave off infections.
• Utilizing diuretics to remove excess fluid.
• Managing blood potassium levels.
• In severe cases, dialysis might be necessitated.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) indicates sustained damage to the kidneys over an extended period, impairing their ability to filter blood efficiently. This damage accumulates waste in the body and can lead to additional health complications. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the predominant causes of CKD. Often, CKD progresses unnoticed until it reaches advanced stages.

Symptoms

Early signs of CKD might include:

• Loss of appetite.
• Fatigue or malaise.
• Headaches.
• Skin itching or dryness.
• Unintentional weight loss.

As CKD progresses, symptoms might intensify:

• Abnormal skin pigmentation.
• Bone pain.
• Cognitive difficulties or drowsiness.
• Swelling or numbness in extremities.
• Muscle cramps or twitching.
• Odorous breath.
• Excessive thirst or frequent hiccups.
• Issues with sexual function or menstrual irregularities.
• Respiratory difficulties.

Exams and Tests

For diagnosing CKD, healthcare professionals will:

• Monitor blood pressure.
• Examine the nervous system for signs of nerve damage.
• Conduct a urinalysis.
• Recommend blood tests like Creatinine clearance, Creatinine levels, Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and others.
• Possibly suggest imaging tests like CT, MRI, or Kidney ultrasound.

Treatment

Managing CKD involves:

• Blood pressure regulation using ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
• Implementing lifestyle changes, such as dietary adjustments, exercise, smoking cessation, and managing blood sugar levels.
• Avoiding certain over-the-counter medications and supplements.
• Administering medications like phosphate binders, iron supplements, erythropoietin injections, and possibly calcium and vitamin D supplements.
• Recommending a special diet to manage symptoms.

Things You Can Do

To maintain kidney health:

• Opt for a low-sodium diet.
• Regularly monitor and control blood pressure.
• Regulate blood sugar levels.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• Consume a heart-healthy diet comprising fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.
• Avoid smoking.

Topics in nephrology and urology

A

• Acidosis
• African Americans and kidney disease fact sheet
• Alport syndrome
• Amyloidosis and kidney disease
• Analgesic nephropathy: painkillers and the kidneys
• Anatomy of the kidneys
• Anatomy of the urinary system
• Anemia in kidney disease and dialysis

B

• Bedwetting
• Biopsy of the kidneys
• Biopsy of the prostate
• Bladder and urinary tract
• Bladder control
• Bladder control for women
• Blood in urine
• Blood pressure
• Bone disease of kidney failure
• BPH benign prostatic hyperplasia

C

• Childhood nephrotic syndrome
• Children
• Child's bedwetting
• Chronic kidney disease and kidney failure (a research fact sheet)
• Chronic kidney disease: a family affair
• Ckd quick reference card
• Complications
• Cystitis
• Cystocele: fallen bladder
• Cystoscopy and ureteroscopy
• Cysts

D

• Daily bladder diary
• Diabetes and kidney disease
• Diabetes insipidus
• Diagnostic tests
• Dialysis
• Diet for hemodialysis
• Drug information

E

• Eat right to feel right on hemodialysis
• End-stage renal disease
• Enuresis
• Erectile dysfunction
• Exercising your pelvic muscles

F

• Fallen bladder
• Financial help for treatment of kidney failure
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

G

• Glomerular diseases
• Glomerular filtration rate
• Glomerulonephritis
• Glomerulosclerosis
• Goodpasture's syndrome
• Growth failure in children with kidney disease

H

• Help your family prevent kidney failure brochure
• Help your family prevent kidney failure button
• Help your family prevent kidney failure poster
• Hematuria: blood in the urine
• Hemodialysis
• Hemodialysis dose and adequacy
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome
• High blood pressure and kidney disease
• History of advances in treating kidney disease
• Hypertension

I

• Iga nephropathy
• Imaging of the urinary tract
• Impotence
• Incontinence (all topics)
• Incontinence in children
• Incontinence in men
• Incontinence in women
• Infection (bladder)
• Infection (kidney)
• Interstitial cystitis

K

• Kegel exercises
• Kidney biopsy
• Kidney connection guide
• Kidney cysts
• Kidney disease and kidney failure
• Kidney disease in children
• Kidney disease of diabetes
• Kidney diseases dictionary
• Kidney failure
• Kidney failure glossary
• Kidney failure series
• Kidney failure: choosing a treatment that's right for you
• Kidney failure: what to expect
• Kidney function-normal
• Kidney stones
• Kidney stones in adults
• Kidney transplantation

L

• Learn the risks brochure
• Lupus nephritis

M

• Medical tests for prostate problems
• Medical tests of kidney function
• Membranous nephropathy
• Menopause and bladder control
• Minimal change disease

N

• Nephrotic syndrome in adults
• Nephrotic syndrome in children
• Nerve disease and bladder control
• Neurogenic bladder
• Nocturnal enuresis
• Nutrition and kidney disease
• Nutrition for early chronic kidney disease in adults
• Nutrition for later chronic kidney disease in adults
• Nutrition in children with chronic kidney disease

O

• Overactive bladder
• Overview of kidney diseases in children

P

• Painkillers and the kidneys
• Pelvic floor exercises
• Peritoneal dialysis
• Peritoneal dialysis dose and adequacy
• Pessary
• Peyronie's disease
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Pregnancy, childbirth, and bladder control
• Prevent diabetes problems: keep your kidneys healthy
• Prostate
• Prostate enlargement: benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Prostatitis: disorders of the prostate
• Proteinuria
• Pyelonephritis (kidney infection) in adults

R

• Rationale for use and reporting of estimated gfr fact sheet
• Renal osteodystrophy
• Renal tubular acidosis
• Research fact sheet
• Research updates in kidney and urologic health

S

• School and family problems of children with kidney failure
• Sexual and urologic problems of diabetes
• Simple kidney cysts
• Solitary kidney
• Statistics
• Stress incontinence

T

• Talking to your health care team about bladder control
• Tests
• Tests for kidney function
• Tests for prostate problems
• Tests for urinary problems
• Transplantation
• Treatment
• Treatment methods for kidney failure in children
• Treatments for urinary incontinence in women

U

• Understanding gfr fact sheet
• Ureteroscopy
• Urge incontinence
• Urinary incontinence in children
• Urinary incontinence in men
• Urinary incontinence in women
• Urinary tract infections
• Urinary tract infections in adults
• Urinary tract infections in children
• Urine blockage in newborns
• Urodynamic testing
• Urologic diseases dictionary
• Urostomy and continent urinary diversion

V

• Vascular access for hemodialysis
• Vesicoureteral reflux

W

• What I need to know about erection problems
• What I need to know about kidney stones
• What I need to know about my child's bedwetting
• What I need to know about prostate problems
• What I need to know about urinary tract infections
• What your female patients want to know about bladder control

Y

• Your body's design for bladder control
• Your kidneys and how they work
• Your medicines and bladder control
• Your urinary system and how it works

Kidney disease Resources
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