Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is an inherited kidney disease in which there are multiple cysts in the cortex and medulla. The occurrence of PKD appears in family aggregation. Men and women all have risks of suffering from this disease. PKD affects patients’ health badly. With the increased incidence of polycystic kidney, the focus for PKD is becoming higher and higher. We all hope to learn more about this disease. In the following, let’s see what are the symptoms of cystic kidneys.
1. Renal enlargement
The size of right and left kidney is different. In the late stage, the two kidneys can occupy the whole abdominal cavity. The surface of kidneys is covered with many cysts, which makes the kidneys out-of shape, uneven and hard.
2. Pain in renal area
Pain in renal area is the important sign. PKD patients usually feel oppressing sensation or dull pain and sometimes sharp pain on the lower back. Sometimes, the pain also occurs in stomach. If you have physical activity, a long time of walking or sitting, this kind of pain can be worsened. Besides, renal hemorrhage, stone movement or infection are also factors of sudden sharp pain.
3. Blood in urine
Almost half of patients have microscopic hematuria and can have onset macroscopic hematuria, which is caused by ruptured blood vessels of cystic wall. Hematuria is accompanied by leucocyturia and proteinuria. If there is infection in the kidney, pyuria is obvious, hematuria is worsened and there is backache with fever.
4. High blood pressure
Hypertension is the most common symptom of ADPKD. High blood pressure is caused by oppressing surrounding tissue, stimulating renal renin, angiotensin and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
5. Renal dysfunction
This disease will sooner or later progress to kidney dysfunction. Rare cases in adolescence have kidney failure. In common cases, people before age of 40 have rarely declined kidney function. Almost half of patients in age of 70 still remains kidney function. However, patients with high blood pressure will progress to kidney failure in a short time.
6. Polycystic liver
About half of ADPKD patients of middle age has polycystic liver. However, the polycystic liver develops slowly in patients after age of 60.
The above are some top symptoms of PKD. Patients should control their symptoms actively so as to prolong their normal life.