Acute Kidney Failure Complications
Acute kidney failure can sometimes cause complications. These include:
- Fluid buildup. Acute kidney failure can sometimes cause a buildup of fluid in your body. If fluid builds up in your lungs, this can cause shortness of breath.
- Chest pain. If the lining that covers your heart becomes inflamed, you may have chest pain.
- Acidic blood . If your blood has too much acid due to acute kidney failure, you can end up with nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and breathlessness.
- Muscle weakness. When your body’s fluids and electrolytes are out of balance, you can get muscle weakness. In serious cases, this can lead to paralysis and heart rhythm problems.
- Permanent kidney damage. Acute kidney failure can become chronic and your kidneys will stop working almost entirely or completely. This is called end-stage renal disease. If this happens, you will need to go on permanent dialysis or get a kidney transplant.
- Death. Acute kidney failure can lead to loss of kidney function that is so bad, it can cause death.
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IV What Are The Symptoms And Signs Of Kidney Failure?
Kidney failure does not have clear signs and symptoms. However, people with kidney failure have a decrease in the ability to function of your kidneys. As a result, your system has difficulty in regulating water, balancing electrolyte, promoting red blood cell production, and clearing waste products from your body.
Other symptoms of kidney failure include weakness, lethargy, shortness of breath, swelling, loss of appetite, metabolic acidosis, congestive heart failure, high blood potassium, and low level of calcium blood. Kidney failure symptoms also are drowsiness, less flow of urine in urination, water retention, headache, physical inactivity, weakness, confusion, chest pain, fatigue, and abdominal pain, or nausea.
However, if not treated soon, the consequences of kidney failure can lead to discomfort and pain in your body parts.
V How To Prevent Kidney Failure?
Kidney failure may lead to serious consequences if not treated soon. Therefore, prevention is better than treatment. You can keep kidney failure and kidney diseases at bay by changing your habits. The first thing on how to prevent kidney failure is to avoid its triggers. Three common triggers of kidney failure are high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The high level of blood sugar in your body may damage kidneys.
How Do I Cope With Kidney Failure
Learning you have kidney failure can be a shock, even if you have known for a long time that your kidneys were not working well. You may feel sad or anxious.
Reach out for support from your health care team and your family, friends and community. They can help you make changes to feel your best while you get dialysis and may be waiting for a kidney transplant.
To feel your best, your doctors will recommend that you:
- Go to every dialysis visit and consider getting a kidney transplant.
- Have visits with a nephrologist.
- Meet with a dietitian to help you create and follow a kidney-friendly eating plan.
- Keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. They may prescribe blood pressure medicines
- Keep your blood sugar at a healthy level if you have diabetes.
- Be active for 30 minutes on most days of the week.
- Drink less alcohol and quit smoking or using tobacco.
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What Are My Treatment Options For Kidney Failure
You can choose one of three treatment options to filter your blood and take over a small part of the work your damaged kidneys can no longer do. A fourth option offers care without replacing the work of the kidneys. None of these treatments will help your kidneys get better. However, they all can help you feel better.
- Hemodialysis uses a machine to move your blood through a filter outside your body, removing wastes.
- Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of your belly to filter your blood inside your body, removing wastes.
- Kidney transplant is surgery to place a healthy kidney from a person who has just died, or from a living person, into your body to filter your blood.
- Conservative management treats kidney failure without dialysis or a transplant. Youll work with your health care team to manage symptoms and preserve your kidney function and quality of life as long as possible.
Doing well with kidney failure is a challenge, and it works best if you
- stick to your treatment schedule.
- review your medicines with your health care provider at every visit. You are the only one who knows how your body is responding to each of your medicines. Its really important that your provider knows which medicines you are taking.
- are active most days of the week.
Reverse Kidney Damage Naturally
Despite the various medical advances made to help heal kidney damage, the most powerful way that you can improve your kidney health is with lifestyle changes, especially changes to your diet.
Ensuring that you eat enough potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and vitamin D is a good start, as these nutrients are fundamental to kidney health, but without controlling your high blood glucose and blood pressure, these changes are temporary.
Thats why we recommend a heavily plant-based diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains if youre suffering from high blood glucose and blood pressure. This diet is the first step to reverse insulin resistance, and can help vastly improve your cardiovascular health overall.
Eating potassium-rich foods can dramatically reduce your blood pressure, so include foods like tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, melons, oranges, bananas, nuts, seeds, dates, cruciferous vegetables into your diet on a daily basis.
One of the most effective ways to improve your kidney function is to reduce your intake of protein to approximately 0.8-1.0 g/kg body weight per day. Even though you may be tempted to eat a high-protein diet, understand that reducing your protein intake is a safe and highly effective way to reduce your risk of developing end stage renal disease .
To accomplish this, we recommend eating a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food diet because it is an effective way to eat whole foods and target 0.8-1.0 g/kg protein intake per day.
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How Soon Should I Start Learning About What Type Of Treatment To Have
Start learning early about treatment optionsbefore you need one. Youll have time to
- learn about the different treatment options
- talk with other people who are living with dialysis, a transplant, or conservative management
- work with your health care team to create a kidney failure treatment plan
- prepare yourself mentally and physically for the changes ahead
Creating a treatment plan and sharing it with your family gives you more control.
Do You Know About Your Kidney
Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs found on left and right sides of the body which filter the blood to make urine to release and retain water in body and to remove waste. Kidneys regulate fluid balance and blood pressure in the body. The kidneys regulate the balance of ions in the blood, it removes waste products such as urea and ammonium out of the blood into the urine. Kidneys are also responsible for reabsorption of water, glucose and amino acids. Most common clinical conditions involving kidneys are nephritis and Nephrotic syndromes, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, renal cysts, UTI, kidney stones etc. When renal function is poor, dialysis and kidney transplantation may be the treatment but there is simple way to repair your kidneys using baking soda.
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Causes Of Kidney Damage
Endocrine system in our body produces hormones and enzymes to digest food. The pancreas is the organ that produces majority of sodium bicarbonate to protect kidney. Sometimes kidneys also produce this enzymes depending on the type of diet. If the diet is full of sugar, fried fatty food or unhealthy food it will suffer significant reduction to produce sodium bicarbonate which may damage the kidneys. If blood is too alkaline then kidney excretes bicarbonate into the urine to restore the balance.
What Are The Basics About Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis can replace part of your kidney function. In hemodialysis, your blood goes through a filter outside your body and filtered blood is returned to your body. Hemodialysis
- filters your blood to remove harmful wastes and extra fluid
- helps control blood pressure
- helps balance important minerals, such as potassium, sodium, and calcium in your blood
Hemodialysis isnt a cure for kidney failure, but it can help you feel better and live longer. You will also need to change what you eat, take medicines, and limit the amount of water and other liquids you drink and get from food.
Before you can start hemodialysis, youll need to have minor surgery to create a vascular accessa place on your body where you insert needles to allow your blood to flow from and return to your body during dialysis.
You can have hemodialysis at a dialysis center or in your home. Hemodialysis is usually done at a dialysis center three times a week, with each session lasting about 4 hours.
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Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels In Check
Kidney failure is often a consequence of diabetes. Thus, if you have this condition, it is essential to maintain close control of your blood sugar.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is also crucial, even if you do not have diabetes. The section below lists some recommended foods to enhance kidney function.
What Is Involved In The First Phase Of Treatment
In the first phase, high doses of intravenous fluids are given to ‘flush out’ the kidneys and bloodstream. This flushing process is called diuresis and helps mildly damaged kidney cells to function again by removing the toxic metabolites and creating a healthier environment for healing.
“If enough functional kidney cells remain, they may be able to adequately meet the body’s needs for filtration and waste removal.”
If enough functional kidney cells remain, they may be able to adequately meet the body’s needs for filtration and waste removal. Fluid therapy includes replacement of various electrolytes, especially potassium. Other important aspects of initial treatment include proper nutrition and medication to control vomiting and diarrhea if present. Your dog will often begin to feel better soon after this stage of treatment is begun.
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What Can I Expect From This First Phase Of Treatment
There are three possible outcomes from the first phase of treatment:
1. The kidneys will resume functioning and continue to function for a few weeks to a few years.
2. The kidneys will resume functioning during treatment but fail again as soon as treatment stops, usually within three to fourteen days.
3. Kidney function will not return.
Unfortunately, there are no reliable tests that will predict the outcome. Each case should be treated aggressively and monitored closely. Even dogs that have severe kidney failure may respond favorably to treatment and resume a normal quality of life after treatment.
How Do Doctors Treat Kidney Failure
You will need to see a nephrologist . Your nephrologist will talk with you about your treatment choices, which include:
- Dialysis, which is a treatment that uses a machine to clean your blood
- A kidney transplant:
- , which is a surgery to give you a healthy kidney from someone who has just died
- Living donor kidney transplant, which is a surgery to give you a healthy kidney from someone who is still alive
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What Questions Should I Ask About Kidney Transplant
You may want to ask your doctor these questions:
- Is transplantation the best treatment choice for me? Why?
- What are my chances of having a successful transplant?
- How do I find out whether a family member or friend can donate?
- What are the risks to a family member or friend who donates?
- If a family member or friend does not donate, who will place me on a waiting list for a kidney?
- How long will I have to wait?
- How will I know if my donor kidney is working?
- How long does a transplanted kidney last?
- What are the side effects of anti-rejection medicines?
- Who will be on my transplant team? How can the members of my transplant team help me?
- Who can I talk with about finances, sex, or family concerns?
- Can I talk with someone who is living with a kidney transplant?
Learn about kidney transplant.
Where Can I Get Support
Renal units are usually in large teaching hospitals. They offer specialised help for you to adjust to kidney failure. The team includes your renal physician, nurses, dialysis staff and social workers. Renal units also have access to psychiatrists, psychologists and chaplains. Most also have their own patient-run organisations and support groups. You can find out about these from your renal unit staff or from Kidney Health NZ. Kidney Health NZ has patient support centres around the country for people with kidney failure. These are run by trained volunteers who have experienced kidney failure in their own families/whnau, and who offer their time to talk and share stories.
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When Do I Have To Start Dialysis
For most people, the need for dialysis comes on slowly. Symptoms, such as losing your desire to eat and losing muscle, may begin so slowly that you dont notice them. Many people start dialysis when their kidney function is between 5 and 10. When kidney function is this low, you may have symptoms from kidney failure and starting dialysis may help relieve them. Starting dialysis can help you regain your appetite and maintain your strength, which is harder to rebuild than it is to retain. Your health care provider can help you decide the best time to begin treatment.
What Are The Basics About Conservative Management
Conservative management for kidney failure means that your health care team continues your care without dialysis or a kidney transplant. The focus of care is on your quality of life and symptom control.The decision to start dialysis is yours. For most people, dialysis may extend and improve quality of life. For others who have serious conditions in addition to kidney failure, dialysis may seem like a burden that only prolongs suffering.
You have the right to decide how your kidney failure will be treated. You may want to speak with your family, doctor, counselor, or renal social workerwho helps people with kidney diseaseto help you make this decision.
If you decide not to begin dialysis treatments, you may live for a few weeks or for several months, depending on your health and your remaining kidney function. Many of the complications of kidney failure can be treated with medicines, but only dialysis or transplant can filter wastes from your blood. As your kidney function declines, you may want to consider adding hospice, or end-of-life, care. You can have hospice care in a facility or at home. The hospice program is designed to meet end-of-life physical and emotional needs. Hospice care focuses on relieving pain and other symptoms.
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What Is Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease means that your kidneys do not work as well as they should. They cant remove waste products from your body. Damage to the kidneys filter system can also allow blood and protein to leak into the urine. This is not always visible but can be found with a urine test.
The term chronic means that it is a long-term condition. It does not necessarily mean your kidney damage is severe as many cases of CKD are mild and can be managed with help from your GP and without hospital involvement.
Think Kidneys – www.thinkkidneys.nhs.uk
How Will My Veterinarian Determine The Degree Kidney Failure In My Dog
Your veterinarian will use the IRIS staging system. IRIS staging is based on serum creatinine levels, with sub-staging based on the presence of protein in the urine and measuring your dogs blood pressure. By using this staging, your veterinarian has a better idea of how to proceed with treatment, monitor progress, and to estimate your pets prognosis.
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Kidney Damage From Ibuprofen
Ibuprofen, as well as similar over-the-counter pain relievers like naproxen and aspirin, tend to be safe when taken in small doses.
However, the chemical process of these pain killers places a stress on your kidneys, and when taken in high doses or over an extended period of time can cause kidney damage.
We highly recommend following the safety information on these medications carefully, or with the guidance of a doctor.
What Is An Advance Directive And Why Would I Want To Prepare One
You can make your treatment plans and wishes clear to health care providers and family members with an advance directive. During a medical crisis, you might not be able to tell your health care team and loved ones how you want to be treated or cared for. An advance directive is a written legal statement or document with your instructions either to provide or not provide certain treatments, such as dialysis, depending on what else is happening with your health. Advance directives may include
- a durable power of attorney for health care decisions
- a do-not-resuscitate order
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Symptoms Of Kidney Disease
In the early stages of kidney disease, people can have no symptoms. In fact, some people have no symptoms until over 90 per cent of their kidney function has gone. This is unfortunate because early detection of kidney disease and treatment is the key to preventing kidney failure.
Symptoms of kidney disease can include:
- a metallic taste in the mouth.
These symptoms can be caused by other conditions, but if you are in a high-risk group for kidney disease, speak with your doctor.