Kidney Diseases
Disclaimer: Not medical or professional advice. Always seek the advice of your physician.
The kidneys play a vital role in the body. They remove excess fluid and toxins from the body, help maintain the acid-base balance and blood composition, affect blood pressure and bone strength (they regulate the level of calcium in the blood and vitamin D).
Kidney diseases not only cause discomfort (frequent urination or acute renal colic greatly complicate life), but also increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and hypertension.
Symptoms of Kidney Disease
- Urinary disorders (affecting frequency and/or quality).
- Urine color changes.
- Blood in the urine.
- Burning or pain during urination.
- Lower back pain and abdominal pain.
- Fever.
- High blood pressure. The kidneys and the circulatory system are linked to each other. It is important to constantly monitor blood pressure in order to avoid sudden changes.
- Weakness, drowsiness, headache.
- Poor sleep quality, sleep apnea.
- Metallic taste in the mouth. It is a sign of kidney disease that indicates the impairment of oral cavity acid-base balance. Another characteristic symptom is unpleasant breath odor, especially in the morning. The progression of the disease affects the usual taste of food, intensifying a metallic taste from any food.
- Shortness of breath. It usually occurs during physical activities.
- Swelling of the extremities, puffiness around the eyes. Reduced filtering ability of the kidneys leads to water retention in the body.
Risk Factors for Kidney Disease
- hypothermia (especially in the lower back area)
- untreated genital infections
- hormonal imbalance
- cardiovascular diseases
- chronic fatigue, frequent stress
- anomalies of the urinary tract
- trauma to the kidneys and bladder
- history of chemotherapy
- genetic predisposition
- poor diet
Prevention of Kidney Diseases
- avoid hypothermia, especially in the lower back area
- eat a healthy and balanced diet
- give up smoking and drinking alcohol
- follow good intimate hygiene practices
- treat STDs promptly
- get annual health checkups
Common Kidney Diseases
- Polycystic kidney disease is an inherited condition that causes numerous fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys. The cysts gradually enlarge, replacing healthy kidney tissue. This process disrupts the function of the kidney and leads to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
- Pyelonephritis is inflammation of one or both kidneys. It usually develops as a complication after a cold, sore throat, flu, severe hypothermia, or a weakened immune system.
- Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of the tubules and glomeruli of the kidney. Damage to the glomeruli affects their ability to filter blood, which leads to the retention of water and toxins in the body. Kidney failure is the last stage of the disease that requires lifelong dialysis or a kidney transplant.
- Kidney stones are hard, crystal-like deposits that form in the kidneys. Small kidney stones may be excreted on their own in the urine. Large stones may get stuck and cause kidney or urinary tract infections. As a result, they block the urine flow and trigger an inflammatory response in the kidneys.
- A floating kidney is an abnormal movement of the kidney when it descends below its ordinary position into the abdominal cavity. This condition is accompanied by pain in the lower back or hypochondrium, often on the right side. The kidney can rotate around its axis. Besides, the blood vessels supplying the organ become squeezed and stretched. This leads to inflammatory processes and kidney stone formation.
- Hydronephrosis is urinary obstruction due to a build-up of urine in the kidneys.
- Renal failure is a complete or partial loss of kidney function. Damage to the kidneys from other diseases causes them to lose their ability to filter blood. In this case, the unwanted substances are transported back into the bloodstream.
Most of these diseases are treatable, especially if identified in the early stages. For that reason, doctors recommend checking your kidney function yearly.