Can chronic renal failure be cured by dialysis?

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

Updated on September 10, 2024

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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.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng

Nephrology

1min

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Precursors of renal failure

The kidneys have a very strong compensatory ability. When kidney function is slightly impaired, many people do not have any uncomfortable symptoms and feel everything is normal. However, if one actively seeks out early signs, it is possible to detect precursors to kidney failure. At this time, if one can go to the hospital in time for routine blood tests, urine tests, and kidney function tests, it is possible to determine if there is kidney failure. The most obvious precursor symptom of kidney failure is usually general fatigue, which many people tend to overlook. This is because there are indeed many reasons that can cause fatigue, especially since many people attribute it to fatigue or stress factors. Additionally, many patients with precursors to kidney failure experience edema, particularly the kind that disappears after rest, so it is especially not taken seriously. Another symptom of kidney failure precursors is a significant increase in the frequency of urination at night, which is also often overlooked.

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

59sec

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Chronic Renal Failure Treatment Plan

The treatment of chronic renal failure primarily requires a clear understanding of the cause, and treatment targeting the cause is essential to slow the progression of chronic renal failure. The most common causes of chronic renal failure are diabetes, hypertension, and chronic nephritis. Therefore, for patients with chronic renal failure caused by diabetes, insulin is often needed to control blood sugar. For patients with hypertensive kidney disease, antihypertensive drugs are certainly necessary to control blood pressure. However, in the early stages of renal failure, ACE inhibitors or ARBs are the preferred choices. For patients with chronic nephritis in the early stages, corticosteroid medications are required for treatment. However, if the serum creatinine has already exceeded 256 micromoles per liter, treatment then focuses mainly on managing complications, and corticosteroids are no longer used. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

43sec

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Is stage five chronic kidney failure serious?

Strictly speaking, there is no condition called "chronic renal failure stage five," but there is a term "chronic kidney disease stage five." Chronic kidney disease is divided into five stages based on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Stage five chronic kidney disease indicates that the patient's GFR is less than 15 milliliters per minute, which is about 15% of normal kidney function and is essentially equivalent to uremia. Therefore, chronic renal failure or chronic kidney disease stage five is very dangerous and can cause many complications. Moreover, this type of kidney failure is irreversible and incurable, and the patient may need to undergo dialysis or a kidney transplant.

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

49sec

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Can chronic renal failure be cured?

Chronic kidney failure is irreversible and incurable, with no possibility of kidney function recovery. There are many causes of chronic kidney failure, commonly including diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephropathy, chronic nephritis, polycystic kidney disease, etc. These causes affect the kidneys over the long term, resulting in extensive damage to kidney tissues. Since kidney tissues cannot regenerate, chronic kidney failure is incurable and irreversible. Patients with chronic kidney failure still require treatment to control the underlying causes leading to the condition, aiming to slow down the progression of the disease as much as possible, prolong the patient’s life, and ensure the quality of life. This is the primary goal of treatment.

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

41sec

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What should I do about edema from chronic renal failure?

Chronic renal failure often leads to edema, which is a common symptom associated with the decreased ability of the kidneys to excrete water, resulting in significant water retention in the body. There are two treatment options for this disease. First, medication can be used, typically diuretics such as loop diuretics. After administration, the patient's urine output increases, which can help reduce edema. Second, for patients who do not respond well to medication, and in cases where edema leads to heart failure or pulmonary edema, dialysis treatment may be considered. Through dialysis ultrafiltration and dehydration, edema can also be alleviated.