Acute Renal Failure Symptoms

When we say renal failure it refers to kidney failure. The human kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs that help in filtering the blood and excreting out the waste from the body in the form of urine. Along with this, kidneys perform other functions like regulation of electrolytes, production of hormones, etc., and hence, the kidneys are considered as one of the most important parts of the human body. Sometimes, due to some disorder or accidental cause, the kidneys stop functioning properly. This is known as renal failure. Let us know more on it.

As mentioned above, renal failure or kidney failure, is the inability of the kidneys to function to its fullest. Renal failure is differentiated into two types: acute and chronic. The chronic renal failure (also known as chronic kidney disease), although develops and progresses very slowly, is difficult to treat and is irreversible. On the other hand, acute renal failure, also known as acute kidney injury, progresses rapidly, but, can be treated completely. Let us take a look at it in detail.

Acute Renal Failure
Acute kidney failure or acute renal failure (ARF) can be caused due to numerous reasons. A sudden injury or accident is the most common cause of it. Similarly, reduced or interrupted supply of blood to the kidneys can cause acute renal failure. This can occur as a result of arising complications during any surgery, like a heart bypass surgery. On the other hand, toxic overdose, drug overdose or excess of antibiotics are also the causes of acute kidney failure.

Acute renal failure is differentiated into two types, prerenal failure and postrenal failure. Prerenal failure occurs when there is a sudden reduction in the blood flow to the kidney, whereas, in case of postrenal failure, the urinary tract gets obstructed which results in the waste to get built up in the kidneys. Prerenal acute renal failure is the most common type of renal failure. One should remember that acute kidney failure can be treated effectively and a person can recover completely from it and lead a normal life. In order to commence the treatment as early as possible, it is necessary to recognize the symptoms. Let us take a look at them.

Symptoms of Acute Renal (Kidney) Failure
The symptoms of kidney failure are very subtle and cannot be noticed easily. It is only easy to identify this disease in case a person is already admitted in the hospital, and suffers from it as a result of some complication. Acute renal failure symptoms also vary from person to person; while in some cases, no symptoms are shown at all in the early stage. The following are the signs and symptoms:

• Very little urine production
• Body swelling (specially legs and feet)
• Rapid heart rate
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dizziness
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Dryness of mouth

In extreme cases, if these symptoms remain unnoticed, the condition can become more severe. One can observe symptoms like blood in urine, seizures and coma, in case acute renal failure is not treated immediately.

Treating Acute Renal Failure
Finding the exact cause of this condition is very essential, as the treatment is based on removing the cause completely. The doctor may advice you to undertake blood and urine tests to confirm the disorder. Treatment of acute renal failure mostly comprises medications, but simultaneously other treatments for improving heart functioning (for proper blood supply), IV fluids (to keep a check on electrolytes balance), etc., will also be carried out. If the person does not respond to these treatments, he may be required to undergo dialysis. In nearly all the cases, people recover completely from acute renal failure.

Remember that acute kidney failure symptoms should be identified and treated quickly in order to restore normal functioning of the kidney.