What are the symptoms of chronic kidney failure?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 04, 2024
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The symptoms of chronic kidney failure are related to the severity of the condition; the more severe the kidney failure, the more symptoms the patient will have. In the early stages, patients may not feel uncomfortable or show any symptoms. Some patients may experience swelling in the lower limbs and facial area. Others may display clinical signs such as elevated blood pressure and visible blood in the urine. As kidney failure progresses and blood creatinine levels exceed 442 umol/L, patients may experience fatigue, which is due to renal anemia. Some patients may also experience a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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What medicine is used for chronic renal failure?

The treatment of chronic renal failure primarily requires identifying the cause and treating it accordingly. Chronic renal failure refers to the state in which various diseases damage the kidneys, leading to the destruction of kidney tissue and resulting in the kidneys' inability to adequately excrete metabolic waste, causing an accumulation of such wastes in the body. There are no medications that can directly affect the kidneys, regenerate kidney tissue, and restore kidney function. Currently, medicine cannot achieve this, and there are no specific drugs for the treatment. Therefore, the treatment of chronic renal failure focuses on treating the primary disease to slow the progression of renal failure. For example, chronic renal failure caused by diabetes necessitates the use of insulin to control blood sugar, while patients with hypertension need to use antihypertensive drugs.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Does chronic renal failure require dialysis?

Not all cases of chronic renal failure require dialysis. It is only considered when chronic renal failure progresses to an advanced stage, causing severe consequences, and the kidneys are unable to maintain normal body functions, leading to many complications. Generally, when chronic renal failure progresses to its final stage, i.e., uremia, the kidney function is left with about 10% capacity. The body then experiences a disruption in its internal environment, including the accumulation of a large amount of metabolic waste, serious electrolyte disorders, and severe metabolic acidosis. It is at this point that dialysis is considered. In the early stages of chronic renal failure, dialysis is not necessary.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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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 Wang Fei Long
Nephrology
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Chronic Renal Failure Replacement Therapy

Chronic kidney failure is the irreversible loss of nephron units and kidney function caused by the progressive progression of chronic kidney disease, leading to a clinical syndrome characterized by the retention of metabolic products and toxins, disturbances in electrolyte and acid-base balance, and endocrine disorders. Chronic kidney failure often progresses to end-stage kidney disease, and the late stage of chronic kidney failure is called the uremic stage. After entering the uremic stage, renal replacement therapy is often required, with the main methods being hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation.

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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.