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Kidney Failure

What are the kidneys?

What your kidneys do?

What causes kidney failure?

What are treatments for kidney failure?

How to diagnose kidney failure?

What are the kidneys?

Our kidneys are an important part of our body.

The Basics about kidneys:

• Most people have two kidneys.

• The kidneys are located on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage.

• Each kidney is about the size of your fist.

• The kidneys are shaped like "kidney beans".

• Your kidneys are connected to your bladder by tubes called ureters.

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What Your Kidneys Do

Think of your kidneys like a pasta strainer or filter. Your kidneys keep some things in your body that you need, and get rid of other things that you don't. The kidneys also do many other jobs that you need to live.

The kidneys:

Make urine

Remove wastes and extra fluid from your blood

Control your body's chemical balance

Help control your blood pressure

Help keep your bones healthy

Help you make red blood cells

Any factor that could impair the kidneys will make them work inappropriately.

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What are the Causes of kidney failure

Kidney failure can occur from an acute situation or chronic problems.

In acute kidney failure, kidney function is lost over a period of hours, days, or in some cases, weeks. The causes of acute kidney failure are categorized based on where the injury is set.

Pre-renal causes

Pre-renal kidney failure occurs due to decreased blood supply to the kidneys. Pre-renal causes mainly include the follows:

Low blood volume due to blood loss

Dehydration from loss body fluid, examples of which include: vomiting, diarrhea, severe sweating, high fever, etc.

Insufficient fluid intake

Such medicines as diuretics may result in severe water loss

Abnormal blood flow to and from the kidney due to obstructions in renal arteries or veins

Renal Causes

Renal causes of kidney failure (factors that damage kidney itself) mainly include:

Sepsis: the body's immune system is overwhelmed from infection and causes inflammation and shutdown of the kidneys. This usually doesn't occur with urinary tract infections.

Nephrotoxic medicines: certain medicines are toxic to the kidneys, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic medicines like idomethacin, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc. Other potentially toxic medicines also include antibiotics such as gentamicin, Nafcillin, and anesthetic medicines like diethyl ether.

Multiple myeloma

Acute glomerulonephritis or inflammation of glomeruli, the filtering system of the kidneys. Diseases that could cause the inflammation mainly include Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Goodpasture Syndrome, Wengener's granlomatosis, etc.

Post-renal causes of kidney failure are factors that affect outflow of urine. Common causes mainly include urinary tract stones, bilateral pelvic effusion, prostatic hyperplasia, tumors in the abdomen that surround and obstruct the ureters.

Chronic renal failure (CRF), or chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a slow and progressive decline of kidney function. The most common causes of chronic kidney failure are Diabetes and high blood pressure.

One of the complications resulting from diabetes or high blood pressure is the damage to the small blood vessels in the body. The blood vessels in the kidneys also become damaged, resulting in CKD.

Other common causes of chronic kidney failure include:

Recurring pyelonephritis (kidney infection)

Polycystic kidney disease (multiple cysts in the kidneys)

Autoimmune disorders such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Purpura

Hardening of the arteries, which can damage blood vessels in the kidney

Urinary tract blockages and reflux, due to frequent infections, stones, or an anatomical abnormality that happened at birth

Excessive use of medications that are metabolized through the kidneys

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Symptoms and complications of kidney failure:

Common symptoms of kidney failure may include:

Itching (pruritus) and dry skin

Headaches

Weight loss without trying

Loss of appetite

Nausea

Other symptoms may include:

Abnormally dark or light skin

Nail changes

Bone pain

Drowsiness and confusion

Problems concentrating or thinking

Numbness in the hands, feet, or other areas

Muscle twitching or cramps

Breath odor

Easy bruising, nosebleeds, or blood in the stool

Excessive thirst

Frequent hiccups

Low level of sexual interest and impotence

Menstrual periods stop (amenorrhea)

Sleep problems, such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome, or obstructive sleep apnea

Swelling of the feet and hands (edema)

Vomiting, especially in the morning

Metallic taste in mouth

Abdominal pains

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What is the treatment for kidney failure?

Prevention is always the goal with kidney failure. Conditions such as Diabetes and high blood pressure are devastating because they can cause severe damage to the kidneys and other organ failure. Controlling blood pressure and blood sugar within targeted range is life-long affair to reduce risks. Specific treatment depends on the underlying causes of diseases.

When kidney failure is present, the goal is to prevent further deterioration of kidney function. Early and effective treatments for reducing symptoms and improving kidneys are essential with kidney failure to block complete organ failure:

Basic approaches to reduce symptoms and complications:

Medicines called phosphate binders to help prevent phosphorus levels from becoming too high

Treatment for anemia, such as extra iron in the diet, iron pills or shots, shots of a medicine called erythropoietin and blood transfusions

Extra calcium and vitamin D

Eat a low-protein diet, limit fluids, salt, potassium, phosphorus and other electrolytes, and get enough calories if you are losing weight.

Dialysis treatment to get rid of excess wastes and fluid in the body.

Treatments for repairing the kidneys

Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy :

Each kidney is made of millions of basic functioning units called as nephrons. In kidney failure stage kidneys are so severely impaired that there is only less than 15% remaining kidney function. In the kidneys failed or dead renal intrinsic cells can not be repaired or brought back to work.

The job Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy can do is to repair impaired but not completely failed kidney cells and protect residual healthy renal cells, through which kidney condition can be improved to certain degrees and prognosis is greatly improved. The treatment effect will be always better at an earlier date.

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