Chronic renal failure inevitably has symptoms.

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 29, 2024
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Patients with chronic kidney failure do not necessarily have symptoms, and the symptoms of each patient are not exactly the same. Chronic kidney failure refers to the damage to the kidneys by various chronic kidney diseases, eventually leading to the kidneys' inability to adequately excrete metabolic waste, causing the accumulation of water and metabolic waste in the body. This leads to disturbances in the patient's electrolytes and may also present clinical symptoms such as anemia and hypertension. However, not all patients feel discomfort, so chronic kidney failure is also known as the silent killer. If a patient undergoes a blood test, it will show an increase in blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, which is the only common feature among all patients with chronic kidney failure.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Chronic kidney failure is not contagious.

Chronic kidney failure is not contagious. Strictly speaking, chronic kidney failure is not an independent disease; it is a state of disease. It refers to various causes that damage the kidneys, leading to the loss of kidney tissue, and ultimately, the kidneys lose their ability to perform excretory functions. This state is called chronic kidney failure. Chronic kidney failure itself is not contagious. Contagious diseases involve some type of pathogen, whereas the common causes of chronic kidney failure include chronic nephritis, diabetes, kidney diseases, hypertensive nephropathy, etc. None of these diseases are contagious, hence chronic kidney failure is also not contagious.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can chronic renal failure become pregnant?

Although patients with renal failure are not absolutely unable to become pregnant, pregnancy is ultimately a burden on the kidneys. Pregnant patients with renal failure may experience further deterioration of kidney function and may face numerous complications during pregnancy, such as heart failure, severe anemia, etc., which may pose some risks. However, there are still very rare case reports, including successful pregnancies in patients on dialysis for uremia, but the probability of this is extremely small, and the risks involved are too great. Generally speaking, it is not recommended for female patients with chronic renal failure to become pregnant.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
49sec home-news-image

Chronic renal failure inevitably has symptoms.

Patients with chronic kidney failure do not necessarily have symptoms, and the symptoms of each patient are not exactly the same. Chronic kidney failure refers to the damage to the kidneys by various chronic kidney diseases, eventually leading to the kidneys' inability to adequately excrete metabolic waste, causing the accumulation of water and metabolic waste in the body. This leads to disturbances in the patient's electrolytes and may also present clinical symptoms such as anemia and hypertension. However, not all patients feel discomfort, so chronic kidney failure is also known as the silent killer. If a patient undergoes a blood test, it will show an increase in blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, which is the only common feature among all patients with chronic kidney failure.

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Written by Wu Ji
Nephrology
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Symptoms of chronic renal failure

The clinical symptoms of chronic renal failure vary at different stages. In the compensatory and early decompensatory stages of chronic renal failure, patients may experience no symptoms or only mild discomforts such as fatigue, back pain, and increased nocturia, while a few may suffer from reduced appetite, metabolic acidosis, and mild anemia. The main clinical symptoms include disorders of water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance, presenting metabolic acidosis, sodium retention or hypovolemia, or hyponatremia, along with hyperkalemia. Moreover, there are significant manifestations of excess phosphorus and calcium deficiency. Patients may also experience disruptions in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. Cardiovascular symptoms mainly include hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure, and uremic cardiomyopathy. Gastrointestinal symptoms can manifest as loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Hematological manifestations may include renal anemia and a tendency to bleed.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can chronic renal failure be cured by dialysis?

Patients with chronic renal failure can undergo dialysis treatment to sustain life and improve quality of life. However, dialysis merely uses artificial means to excrete accumulated metabolic wastes and fluids in the body, regulate the internal environment, and simply substitutes for the function of the kidneys. Dialysis has no therapeutic value for renal failure itself. Therefore, patients with chronic renal failure should not expect dialysis to restore kidney function. Nonetheless, as a renal replacement therapy, dialysis can provide patients with a relatively good lifespan and quality of life. Dialysis treatment is necessary for patients with uremia.