What Is Kidney Failure?

Kidney failure means that one or both kidneys may not function as well by themselves. Sometimes, it's an ongoing problem that could worsen over a prolonged period. Kidney failure can sound like a serious issue, and indeed it is. However, treatments like dialysis and kidney transplants can assist many people who have diminished kidney function to live full lives.

What Do The Kidneys Do?

The kidneys perform a variety of functions. One of them is helping the body get rid of toxic substances. The kidneys cleanse your blood and flush out waste from your body through urine. The kidneys are shaped like beans and roughly as big as your hand. They are situated in the ribcage of your lower back, towards your back. A majority of people have two functioning kidneys. However, they can be healthy provided that, at the very least, one is functioning correctly. If your kidneys aren't working efficiently, waste products build within your body. If this occurs, you may be sick. In the direst circumstances, kidney failure could be life-threatening. But, many people can treat kidney failure by following the correct treatment.

Common Causes of Kidney Disease

High blood pressure and diabetes are the cause of two-thirds of kidney diseases that are chronic.

Diabetes

A high concentration of glucose, commonly known as sugar, found in your blood can damage your kidneys' filtering. In time, the kidneys could be damaged to the point that they can no longer effectively remove the waste and fluids from your blood. Most often, the first sign of kidney disease caused by diabetes is the presence of proteins in the urine. If your filters are affected, an enzyme known as albumin, which you require to remain healthy, can pass from your blood to your urine. A healthy kidney does not allow albumin to pass through the bloodstream to the urine. Diabetic kidney disease is the medical term used for kidney diseases caused by diabetes.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can cause damage to kidney blood vessels which means they aren't functioning effectively. When the blood vessels inside the kidneys are damaged, the kidneys may not function similarly to eliminate waste and excess fluid from your system. The extra fluid accumulating in blood vessels could cause blood pressure further, leading to a potentially dangerous cycle.

What Are The Other Conditions That Impact The Kidneys?

Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis is one of the conditions that can cause inflammation and harm the kidney's filtering units. They are the third most frequent kind of kidney disease.

Inherited Diseases

Polycystic renal disease, also known as PKD, is a very common inheritable disease that causes huge cysts to develop in the kidneys. They also harm the surrounding tissues.

Urinary Tract and Kidney Abnormalities before Birth

The malformations can occur when the baby grows in its mother's womb. For instance, the possibility of a narrowing prevents normal urine flow. It also causes the urine to return to the kidney. This can cause infections and cause damage to the kidneys.

Autoimmune Diseases

The body's defense or immune system becomes hostile to the body; this is known as an autoimmune disorder. Lupus nephritis is a prime example of an immune-mediated disease that causes inflammation (swelling and scarring) of the blood vessels that carry waste within your kidneys.

Other Causes

Kidney tumors or stones can cause damage to the kidneys. An enlarged prostate gland in males or frequent urinary infections may cause damage to the kidneys.

Diagnosis

The overall kidney function is assessed by the amount of filtration that takes place. The filtering process is carried out by tiny blood vessels inside the kidney, referred to as "glomeruli." This is why the overall kidney function is known as"glomerular filtration. "glomerular filtration rate" (GFR) is measured by the amount of blood filtering per minute (milliliters/minute). Normal values are approximately 100 ml/min. But it can vary according to sex and age. GFR can be measured (eGFR) with formulas that consider your age and gender and a test for blood known as creatinine.

Kidney failure is usually observed when the creatinine levels are high, which indicates the kidney's function has been diminished. Creatinine is a chemical produced from your muscle. A healthy kidney will eliminate creatinine from the bloodstream through urine. The presence of more creatinine in blood indicates that kidneys aren't cleansing the blood as effectively as they ought to. The test can reveal something is not right before a person suffering from kidney failure is sick.