Our kidneys are very important to us. Without actively
functioning kidneys, the presence of kidney disease can be devastating
for a person. In the worst case scenario, an individual will need to be
on dialysis or receive a kidney transplant to replace the diseased
kidneys.
There are several different types of kidney disease, some
of which are worse than others. Kidney disease can be "acute", meaning
it is of a fast onset or "chronic" meaning the decline in kidney
function is slow. Both kinds of kidney disease can be due to autoimmune
disorders, toxins, medications or infections. Diseases like diabetes
and high blood pressure can gradually worsen the function of the
kidneys.
Another classification of kidney disease occurs when the
kidneys leak out certain body fluids or substances. One of these
diseases is hematuria or blood in the urine. This can come from
sickened kidneys that leak out blood cells from the capillaries in the
kidneys. The other is fairly common and is called proteinuria.
Proteinuria is when protein, mostly albumin, leaks out from the body.
This can become so great that there is not enough protein in the blood
of the rest of the body. We need our protein to keep the fluid in the
blood vessels and without it, fluid leaks out into the tissues all over
the body. This condition is known as "nephrotic syndrome".
The
presence of kidney stones is another kidney disease. This can occur
when a person secretes too much calcium oxalate into the urine and
doesn't drink enough water. Uric acid can cause kidney stones as well.
The calcium oxalate or the uric acid builds up in the urinary area of
the kidneys and precipitates into a stone that, if passed, becomes very
painful. Kidney stones do not fit well in the ureters and they get
stuck, causing a back of urine and extreme pain. Infections can occur
with kidney stones as well.
Hypertension can cause kidney disease
or, in some cases, the medications that treat hypertension (high blood
pressure) can cause kidney problems. In some cases, a person has a
blockage of one or both arteries leading to the kidneys. The kidneys
respond by releasing vasopressin which causes the blood pressure to rise
remarkably. There are specific blood pressure medications that address
this problem. In some cases, surgery to correct the blockage may need
to be done.
Chronic pyelonephritis is another kidney disease.
This is a condition where infection seeds into the kidneys (one or both)
and causes chronic pain and inflammation in the kidneys. Hematuria can
result from this type of kidney infection.
There is one primary
kidney disease which is cancerous. Renal cell carcinoma is a type of
kidney disease that can occur spontaneously. The cancer can cause pain
or bleeding in the area of the kidneys. A CT scan of the abdomen can
detect this form of kidney disease. Often, if the cancer doesn't extend
beyond the outer capsule of the kidney, the kidney can be removed and
the cancer is highly treatable.
Kidney disease can be hereditary.
There are a number of rare hereditary kidney diseases that result in
leakage of blood or protein from the kidneys. These diseases can
sometimes be managed medically but, in other cases, dialysis or kidney
transplant are necessary to cure the underlying problem.
