Autoimmune Disease Symptoms : Are You at Risk? The Different Types of Kidney Disease
Autoimmune Disease Symptoms : Kidney disease affects as many as one out of every five hundred people according to the PKD Foundation. Are you one of the people at risk? The kidneys are responsible for filtering the body’s blood supply, removing the excess water and waste, and turning it into urine. Each day about 200 quarts of blood are processed through the fist-sized organs. When the kidneys screen waste and chemical materials from the blood, they regulate the body’s levels of chemicals like potassium by releasing some back into the bloodstream for the body to use. Keeping these chemicals in balance is vital for good health. In addition to regulating chemical levels, the kidneys also release three hormones: erythropoietin (EPO) which causes the bone marrow to make red blood cells, rennin which regulates blood pressure, and calcitriol which is a form of vitamin D3 and helps maintain calcium levels for the bones.
Glomerular diseases include autoimmune diseases, sclerotic diseases, and infection-related diseases. This disease attacks the small blood vessels (glomeruli) in the kidney. Common symptoms for this disease include too much protein or blood in the urine. High blood pressure can contribute to the severity of this type of illness. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disease where cysts grow in the kidneys sometimes to the point where they replace much of the kidney mass and cause the kidneys to fail. Rarely, PKD can be contracted while a child is still in utero. Common symptoms for PKD include high blood pressure, renal failure, back or side pain, and anemia.
Some over the counter medications can poison the kidneys if overdosed on or taken for a long period of time. If you must be on any medication for a long period, talk to your doctor to make sure your kidneys are not at risk. Trauma, either a blow to the stomach or loss of blood, or toxic substances can also damage the kidneys and lead to kidney disease or failure. If the kidneys suddenly fail after poison or a traumatic event it is classified as acute kidney injury (AKI) or acute renal failure (ARF). In some cases, AKI may be reversed if the kidneys are not too seriously damaged.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a stealthy, silent kidney disease that may go unnoticed for years. This is where the kidneys gradually lose the ability to function. The danger with CKD is that people who have it do not feel sick at all in the early stages of the illness. As the disease progresses, some symptoms that become evident include a need to urinate more or less often, swelling due to extra water retention, rashes, itchy, or numb skin due to waste buildup, feeling tired all the time, loss of appetite, and nausea.
If you think you might be at risk for any type of kidney problems, talk to your doctor and be sure to have regular checkups. Keeping track of your blood pressure and medicine intake can also help you to have kidneys that will last you a lifetime.
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