Kidney Failure - Chronic Renal Failure

The Kidneys are a pair of bean shaped organs in the body. Their function is to remove the waste products and excessive water in the blood. Apart from this function, the kidneys also help in the processing of:

• Renin which helps to regulate the blood pressure.
• Vitamin D which helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
• Erythropoietin which helps to stimulate the bone marrow cells to make red blood cells.

Under normal circumstances, the kidneys process around 200 liters of blood everyday. This results in at least 2 liters of urine being produced per day.

Chronic Renal Failure occurs when the kidneys suffer from gradual loss of their functions over a period of time. This failure is usually permanent. This process is gradual, and may happen over a period of months to over a period of years. Medical practitioners classify the disease in 5 Stages, from Stage 1 to Stage 5, where stage 1 is the beginning phase and stage 5 is the last stage of chronic kidney disease.

As such there is no cure for chronic renal failure. The treatment only exists to slow down the progression of kidney failure, and to treat its causes and resulting complications. The idea is to replace the lost kidney functionality as best as possible.

Causes of Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney failure is always the result of loss of functionality of the kidneys. However, certain other conditions may also cause renal failure. These are:

• Diabetes: Type I and Type II Diabetes Mellitus can lead to kidney disease.
• Hypertension or High Blood Pressure: This can affect the functioning of the kidneys.
• Glomerulonephritis: This is the inflammation and the damage of the filtration system within the kidneys which may eventually lead to renal failure.
• Use of Analgesics: Continual use of various analgesics such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can cause kidney failure.
• Clogging and Hardening of Arteries.
• Urinary Stones: These obstruct the flow of urine.
• Sickle Cell Disease.
• HIV Infection.
• Heroin Abuse.
• Amyloidosis.
• Family History of Kidney Failure or Kidney Disease.

Symptoms of Kidney Failure: Kidney Failure Symptoms

The kidneys have a remarkable capacity for compensating for their abuse. That is why the various symptoms and signs of kidney failure are not seen until quite late and the disease can progress a lot before it is known. Also, it is important to note that the kidneys have several functions for various parts of the body. That is why, the symptoms may be quite diverse and several body parts might by affected by it.

Note that many of the patients of chronic kidney disease will often have no decrease in their urine output even if the disease has reached its advanced stage. The various symptoms and signs of chronic renal failure are:

• Fatigue and weakness. This may also be accompanied by anemia.
• Loss of appetite.
• Nausea and Vomitting.
• Feeling the need to urinate several times during the night.
• Itching, bruising and pale skin.
• Headaches, disturbed sleep and altered mental state.
• Swelling of Legs.
• Numbness in feet and hands.
• Puffiness of eyes due to fluid retention.
• High blood pressure and chest pain.
• Shortness of breath caused by fluid accumulation in the lungs.
• Bone pain and fractures.
• Poor blood clotting.
• Decreased sexual interest and erectile dysfunction.

As mentioned before, there is no cure for chronic renal failure. Therefore it is necessary to take certain steps in our lifestyle to avoid or prevent such a disease from happening to us. Also, the symptoms appear over a period of time, where it is often too late. So if one is already having certain chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, it is best to test for kidney disease from time to time. One should also avoid excessive use of NSAIDS, chemicals and other toxic substances as well.