Acute Renal Failure

Every organ present inside our body perform specific functions, useful for balancing our health. And one such vital organ is the kidney. Kidney is an important organ of the excretory system, assisting in elimination of waste materials in the form of urine. Regulation of metabolites and secretion of specific hormones are also included under the important functions of kidney. Also known as Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), is a condition when the kidney fails to function properly. Read the content below and get to know the details.

Causes of Acute Renal Failure

The causes of are diverse. Acute renal failure is characterized by certain stages. Renal failure stages are divided on the basis of decrease in Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). Malfunctioning of kidney can be diagnosed by analyzing the GFR. Decrease in GFR causes accumulation of metabolic waste inside the body, and thus the level of toxicity rises. Acute renal failure is the first stage and the last stage is known as chronic renal failure. The reasons behind rapid loss of kidney function is illustrated below.

• Improper fluid balance
• Elevated potassium levels
• High blood urea nitrogen
• High blood creatinine
• Enlargement of prostate gland
• Exposure to toxins
• Low volume of blood
• Low urine production
• Acute tubular necrosis
• Interstitial nephritis
• Acute nephritic syndrome
• Clotting of kidney's blood vessels

Acute Renal Failure Symptoms

Since it's the initial stage, diagnosis is carried out with blood tests and urine tests. Acute renal failure symptoms are associated with decrease in urine production with swellings in specific body parts. The points enlisted below will make you clear.

• Decreased urine production
• Decreased appetite
• Swelling of ankle, hands and feet
• Bloody stools
• High blood pressure
• Bleeding of nose
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bruising easily
• Metallic taste in mouth
• Decreased sensation
• Seizures
• Rapid hiccups
• Seizures
• Sluggish movements

Treatment

The treatment starts once the kidney disease is confirmed. Some of the clinical tests include analysis of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and creatinine. Since acute renal kidney failure is the initial stage of kidney failure, it can be treated completely with proper medication at the right time. The treatments deal with restoration of kidney function and prevention of fluid getting excreted from the body. Tablets are administered to regularize blood pressure and prevent occurrence of seizures. One of the vital treatment for regulating the normal function of kidney is dialysis. Dialysis is one of the most promising treatment for curing acute renal failure complications. There are two types of dialysis, namely hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. The dialyser takes over the function of the kidney and helps in removal of waste products from body. It also regulates blood pressure inside the body. However, chances of complete recovery from chronic renal failure is very less and it is actually a life-threatening condition.

Diet

Excessive consumption of protein rich foods is one of the reasons behind a number of kidney diseases. Thus, doctors advice limited intake of protein sources. Foods like meat, eggs and dairy products should be avoided as much as possible while following an ideal renal failure diet. Curtailing consumption of protein rich vegetables is also advised. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates like grains, cereals, whole foods are safe for health. Since failure of kidney causes deposition of toxins and salts inside body, hence external intake of salts is also restricted. You should prepare recipes low in sodium, as a high sodium diet will cause water retention inside the body. Potassium and phosphorous rich foods (cheese, baking powder, meat, almonds, etc.) should be consumed in minimal amounts.

A lot of restrictions are imposed on a person who has already suffered from acute renal failure. Make sure you visit a doctor even if you feel slightest complication in your health. Proper treatment at right time is capable of curing the disorder completely.