Kidney Disease

[Jhanananda]

While my health continues to improve from nothing more than running a HEPA filter in my living space 24/7; nonetheless, a month ago I was back in the hospital with the same basic symptom of profound fatigue to the point of feeling like death was immanent.  At that time I was diagnosed with acute Kidney Disease.

Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease, also called chronic kidney failure, describes the gradual loss of kidney function. Your kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from your blood, which are then excreted in your urine. When chronic kidney disease reaches an advanced stage, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes can build up in your body.

In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you may have few signs or symptoms. Chronic kidney disease may not become apparent until your kidney function is significantly impaired.

Treatment for chronic kidney disease focuses on slowing the progression of the kidney damage, usually by controlling the underlying cause. Chronic kidney disease can progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without artificial filtering (dialysis) or a kidney transplant.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of chronic kidney disease develop over time if kidney damage progresses slowly.

Signs and symptoms of kidney disease may include:

    Nausea
    Vomiting
    Loss of appetite
    Fatigue and weakness
    Sleep problems
    Changes in how much you urinate
    Decreased mental sharpness
    Muscle twitches and cramps
    Swelling of feet and ankles
    Persistent itching
    Chest pain, if fluid builds up around the lining of the heart
    Shortness of breath, if fluid builds up in the lungs
    High blood pressure (hypertension) that's difficult to control


Signs and symptoms of kidney disease are often nonspecific, meaning they can also be caused by other illnesses. Because your kidneys are highly adaptable and able to compensate for lost function, signs and symptoms may not appear until irreversible damage has occurred.
When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms of kidney disease.

If you have a medical condition that increases your risk of kidney disease, your doctor is likely to monitor your blood pressure and kidney function with urine and blood tests during regular office visits. Ask your doctor whether these tests are necessary for you.

Causes

Chronic kidney disease occurs when a disease or condition impairs kidney function, causing kidney damage to worsen over several months or years.

Diseases and conditions that cause chronic kidney disease include:

    Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
    High blood pressure
    Glomerulonephritis (gloe-mer-u-low-nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney's filtering units (glomeruli)
    Interstitial nephritis (in-tur-STISH-ul nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney's tubules and surrounding structures
    Polycystic kidney disease
    Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract, from conditions such as enlarged prostate, kidney stones and some cancers
    Vesicoureteral (ves-ih-koe-yoo-REE-tur-ul) reflux, a condition that causes urine to back up into your kidneys
    Recurrent kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis (pie-uh-low-nuh-FRY-tis)

Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of chronic kidney disease include:

    Diabetes
    High blood pressure
    Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
    Smoking
    Obesity
    Being African-American, Native American or Asian-American
    Family history of kidney disease
    Abnormal kidney structure
    Older age

Complications

Chronic kidney disease can affect almost every part of your body. Potential complications may include:

    Fluid retention, which could lead to swelling in your arms and legs, high blood pressure, or fluid in your lungs (pulmonary edema)
    A sudden rise in potassium levels in your blood (hyperkalemia), which could impair your heart's ability to function and may be life-threatening
    Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
    Weak bones and an increased risk of bone fractures
    Anemia
    Decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction or reduced fertility
    Damage to your central nervous system, which can cause difficulty concentrating, personality changes or seizures
    Decreased immune response, which makes you more vulnerable to infection
    Pericarditis, an inflammation of the saclike membrane that envelops your heart (pericardium)
    Pregnancy complications that carry risks for the mother and the developing fetus
    Irreversible damage to your kidneys (end-stage kidney disease), eventually requiring either dialysis or a kidney transplant for survival

Prevention

To reduce your risk of developing kidney disease:

    Follow instructions on over-the-counter medications. When using nonprescription pain relievers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), follow the instructions on the package. Taking too many pain relievers could lead to kidney damage and generally should be avoided if you have kidney disease. Ask your doctor whether these drugs are safe for you.
    Maintain a healthy weight. If you're at a healthy weight, work to maintain it by being physically active most days of the week. If you need to lose weight, talk with your doctor about strategies for healthy weight loss. Often this involves increasing daily physical activity and reducing calories.
    Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking can damage your kidneys and make existing kidney damage worse. If you're a smoker, talk to your doctor about strategies for quitting smoking. Support groups, counseling and medications can all help you to stop.
    Manage your medical conditions with your doctor's help. If you have diseases or conditions that increase your risk of kidney disease, work with your doctor to control them. Ask your doctor about tests to look for signs of kidney damage.

[Aron]

I'm sorry to hear about this development Jhanananda. I hope you stay strong and your health improves my friend.

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Aron.  My health has improved immensely since using a HEPA filter, and all of my health problems seem to have all be due to allergies.  So, I expect that the kidney disease is going to go away.  These health threads just help me to work through my health problems.