What is Kidney Failure

The kidneys play a vital role in maintaining every day bodily function. They not only filter the blood and get rid of waste, but they also balance out electrolyte levels in the body which help encourage the production of red blood cells and normalize blood pressure. Understanding what kidney failure is will help you better prevent it from occurring.

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Failure
Kidney failure, also known as renal failure, may not present many symptoms in the beginning. However, as the kidneys continue to decrease in function, they become unable to regulate water and electrolyte balances, clear waste products from the body, and promote red blood cell production which leads to the onset of symptoms including: lethargy, weakness, shortness of breath and occasional swelling. If left untreated, then life-threatening symptoms can occur, which range from heart failure to coma.

Tests and Diagnosis
In order to confirm kidney failure, blood tests measuring the body’s build-up of waste must be performed. There are a few different ways you can diagnose kidney failure:

• BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen), GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate) and creatinine tests, which are routine tests that measure waste buildup and assesses the rate at which blood is filtered through the kidneys based on creatinine level, age, race, and gender.
• Urine tests may also be done to measure the amount of protein in the urine. This can be a clue that damage to the kidneys has occurred, because protein in the urine is not normal. Urine tests can also identify the existence of abnormal cells or measure the concentration of electrolytes.
• Once kidney failure is evident, healthcare professionals use other tests to determine the type of kidney failure. This can be done by using an abdominal ultrasound, which can assess the size of the kidneys and pinpoint where the obstruction exists (if any). Specialist might also recommend a biopsy of the kidney, where they place a thin needle through the skin and into the kidneys to get bits of tissue. Once the procedure is completed they will examine the tissue thoroughly.

Risk Factors
Although the cause of kidney failure for some is unknown, there are certain risk factors that may make you more a higher risk for developing kidney failure. Kidney failure typically occurs in connection with another medical condition and rarely occurs out of thin air; so here are the common risk factors for kidney failure: being hospitalized for intensive care purposes , advanced age, prone to blockages in the blood vessels in your arms or legs, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney diseases or liver disease.  Kidney failure can be fatal so it’s important to understand the symptoms so you know when to call a specialist. If you get a handle on it in the early stages, the prognosis will likely be less worrisome.