Kidney Failure: – If functioning of one Kidney out of our two Kidneys is affected due to Kidney stone or any Kidney disorder then the other Kidney can manage its work for sufficient time. But when both the Kidneys are affected and Kidneys lose their ability to perform normal functions partly or completely then it is known as Kidney Failure or Renal Failure.

There are two types of Kidney Failure:-

1. Acute Kidney Failure or Acute Renal Failure
2. Chronic kidney Failure or Chronic Renal Failure

1. Acute Kidney Failure or Acute Renal Failure:- Acute Kidney Failure or Acute Renal Failure is a rapid loss of renal functions of kidneys. It occurs suddenly.
 
Causes

(a) Decrease in blood flow going to the Kidneys and Kidneys receive insufficient blood for filtration, which may be due to following conditions:-

(i) Dehydration
(ii) Sudden drop in blood pressure due to heavy loss of blood, severe burns
(iii) Poor heart function or heart failure
(iv) Liver failure

(b) Obstruction in flow of urine outside Kidneys as for example: – Kidney Stone, enlarged prostate, bladder cancer etc.

(c) Causes include those which affect filtering function of Kidneys, Kidney tissues and cells, interrupt blood supply within the kidney. For example: Glomerulonephritis, Injury to cells and tissues of kidney, Acute tubular necrosis etc.

2. Chronic Kidney Failure or Renal Failure: – Chronic Kidney Failure or Renal Failure is a slow and gradual loss of Kidney functions over a long period usually months and years. In Chronic Kidney Failure , kidneys are affected slowly and slowly, functioning of kidneys gradually deteriorates which may lead to permanent loss of kidney functions in the long run.

Chronic Kidney FailureMost common causes of Chronic Kidney Failure are high blood pressure and diabetes. Persons having high blood pressure or diabetes should be cautious.

Polycystic Kidney disease can also cause Chronic Kidney Failure.

Underlying causes of Kidney Failure should be identified whether it is due to insufficient blood flow to the Kidneys or due to obstruction in urine flow along the urinary tract or due to damage to the Kidneys.

Blood tests and urine tests should be done. Blood tests to measure the level of creatinine and urea are needed to confirm the diagnosis. Higher level of creatinine indicates the decline in glomerular function rate i.e. the decrease in the capacity of filtration function of Kidneys and also indicates how severe the Kidney failure is.

To detect obstruction of the urinary tract, ultrasonography of the renal tract is needed. Dialysis is needed for waste removal.

With appropriate treatment at the initial stage, Acute Kidney failure is often reversible.

But in case where the Kidneys are too badly damaged to recover then Acute Kidney Failure may progress to Chronic.

Severity of Kidney Failure or Renal Failure depends upon the causes. In future some patients may not regain full renal function and may reach end stage of renal failure. They will require life long dialysis or Kidney transplantation.

Symptoms of Kidney Failure: – 1) Decrease in urine production or stoppage in urine production.
2) Swelling of legs, ankles.
3) Retention of fluid in other parts of the body.
4) Vomiting, Nausea.
5) Loss of appetite.
6) Weight loss.
7) Fatigue etc.

Kidney Stones: – Kidney stones are hard substances like stones and their size may vary from the size of a sand grain to the size of a golf ball.
     Kidney Stones are formed due to deposit of crystals of calcium phosphate, calcium oxalate type of calcium salts, uric acid etc.

Symptoms: – Severe pain in abdomen, scanty urination with pain. Sometimes coming of blood with urine, vomiting – nausea etc.

Polycystic Kidney Disease: – In this disease a number of cysts filled with fluid are grown in the Kidneys. This disease is an inherited disease.

Renal tubular acidosis: – Normally Kidneys excrete acids but when they fail to excrete acids into the urine then renal tubular acidosis occurs. Blood of the patient becomes acidic.

Glomerulonephritis: – The filtration system in the Kidney known as ‘glomeruli’ may be damaged due to infection or other disease.
                        Glomerulonephritis is the inflammation of the filtration system which can damage Kidney function.

By: S.N.Bhattacharya