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- Kidney Failure.
Kidney Failure
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each the size of a human fist, located just
below the ribcage at the back of the waist. They are known as excretory organs because
they perform the function of filtering waste products in the blood flowing through the
kidneys to be removed as urine.
The filtering mechanism is made of many fine blood vessels arranged in a specially designed
structure. The urine is then concentrated to remove the waste products with as little loss of
water as possible. The kidneys also control the calcium, salt and water balance in the body and
help to maintain blood pressure and stimulate red blood cell production.
When the kidneys malfunction as in kidney disease, all these processes are disrupted. The harmful
waste products and toxins accumulate in the blood and cause damage to many different parts of the body.
The kidneys cannot concentrate the urine; and calcium, salt and water balance is out of control. High
blood pressure and anaemia (lack of red blood cells) can develop.
Diabetes and Kidney disease:
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for more than 40 percent of new cases.
Despite taking drugs and controlling the diet, diabetes can still lead to nephropathy (kidney disease)
and kidney failure.
This is because the high blood glucose levels damage the fine blood vessels of the filtering mechanism
of the kidneys, resulting in the loss of proteins in the urine. Further damage results in the inability
of the kidneys to excrete harmful waste products such as urea and creatinine.
Hypertension and Kidney disease:
High blood pressure is the second most common problem that can damage the kidneys. Consistently high blood
pressure over a period of time also damages the fine blood vessels of the filtering mechanism of the kidneys.
The loss of the kidneys' ability to regulate blood pressure further adds to the problem.
Signs and Symptoms of Kidney disease:
The accumulation of waste products in the body result in the kidney patient feeling physically and mentally
sluggish. Waste products deposited on the skin causing itch. Insomnia is common and there is loss of appetite
with nausea and vomiting. Loss of salt and water balance results in swelling of the face, arms and legs.
Water retention in the lungs can cause breathlessness. There is increased frequency of passing large amounts
of urine especially at night due to the kidneys' inability to concentrate the urine. Toxins can damage the nerves
and cause numbness of the hands and feet and impotence. Calcium imbalance can cause bone pain.
Dialysis and Kidney Disease:
There is currently no cure for kidney disease other than a kidney organ transplant which is dependent on suitable
donors. For most patients, dialysis is needed. This is the use of machines to help replace the filtering functions
of a normal kidney, such as removal of waste products and regulation of salt and water.
There are different types of dialysis such as haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Haemodialysis is usually
done in a dialysis centre, while peritoneal dialysis is done as a home therapy.
Preventive action:
Thus, you will see that one of the important preventive actions you can do is to check for diabetes and high blood
pressure which can damage the kidneys. This is a simple process that can be done at any clinic. The other is to
maintain a healthy body weight through exercise and a healthy diet.
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