What is kidney

malfunctioning/failure?
Kidneys are a pair of organs located toward in lower back. One kidney is on each side
of our spine. They filter blood and remove toxins from our body. Kidneys send toxins
to bladder. Our body later removes toxins during urination.

Kidney malfunctioning/failure occurs when kidneys lose the ability to filter waste
from blood sufficiently. Many factors can interfere with kidney health and function,
such as:

 toxic exposure to environmental pollutants or certain medications

 certain acute and chronic diseases
 severe dehydration
 kidney trauma

Our body becomes overloaded with toxins if kidneys can’t do their regular job. This
can lead to kidney failure and even be life-threatening if it’s left untreated.

What are the symptoms of kidney

failure?
Many different symptoms can occur during kidney malfunctioning. Usually someone
with kidney failure will have a few symptoms of the disease, though sometimes none
are present. Possible symptoms include:

 a reduced amount of urine

 swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet from retention of fluids caused by the failure
of your kidneys to eliminate water waste
 unexplained shortness of breath
 excessive drowsiness or fatigue
 persistent nausea
 confusion
 pain or pressure in your chest
 seizures
 coma

What causes kidney failure?

People who are most at risk for kidney malfunctioning usually have one or more of
the following causes:

Loss of blood flow to the kidneys

A sudden loss of blood flow to your kidneys can prompt kidney failure. Some
diseases and conditions that cause loss of blood flow to the kidneys include:

 a heart attack
 heart disease
 scarring of the liver or liver failure
 dehydration
 a severe burn
 an allergic reaction
 a severe infection, such as sepsis

High blood pressure and anti-inflammatory medications can also limit blood flow.

Urine elimination problems

When your body can’t eliminate urine, toxins build up and overload the kidneys.
Some cancers can block the urine passageways. These include prostate (most common
type in men), colon, cervical, and bladder cancers.

Other conditions can interfere with urination and possibly lead to kidney failure,
including:

 kidney stones
 an enlarged prostate
 blood clots within your urinary tract
 damage to the nerves that control your bladder

Other causes

Some diseases and conditions may lead to kidney failure, including:

 a blood clot in or around your kidneys

 infection
 an overload of toxins from heavy metals
 drugs and alcohol
 vasculitis, an inflammation of blood vessels
 lupus, an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation of many body organs
 glomerulonephritis, an inflammation of the small blood vessels of the kidneys
 hemolytic uremic syndrome, which involves the breakdown of red blood cells
following a bacterial infection, usually of the intestines
 multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in your bone marrow
 scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that affects your skin
 thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disorder that causes blood clots in small
vessels
 chemotherapy drugs, medications that treat cancer and some autoimmune diseases
 dyes used in some imaging tests
 certain antibiotics
 uncontrolled diabetes

Five types of kidney failure

There are five different types of kidney failure:

Acute prerenal kidney failure

Insufficient blood flow to the kidneys can cause acute prerenal kidney failure. The
kidneys can’t filter toxins from the blood without enough blood flow. This type of
kidney failure can usually be cured once you and your doctor determine the cause of
the decreased blood flow.

Acute intrinsic kidney failure

Acute intrinsic kidney failure can be caused by direct trauma to the kidneys, such as
physical impact or an accident. Causes also include toxin overload and ischemia,
which is a lack of oxygen to the kidneys. The following may cause ischemia:

 severe bleeding
 shock
 renal blood vessel obstruction
 glomerulonephritis

Chronic prerenal kidney failure

When there isn’t enough blood flowing to the kidneys for an extended period of time,
the kidneys begin to shrink and lose the ability to function.

Chronic intrinsic kidney failure

This happens when there is long-term damage to the kidneys due to intrinsic kidney
disease. Intrinsic kidney disease is caused by a direct trauma to the kidneys, such as
severe bleeding or a lack of oxygen.

Chronic post-renal kidney failure

A long-term blockage of the urinary tract prevents urination. This causes pressure and
eventual kidney damage.

Preventing kidney failure

There are steps you can take to reduce your risk of kidney failure.

Follow directions when taking over-the-counter medications. Taking doses

that are too high (even of common drugs such as aspirin) can create high
toxin levels in a short amount of time. This can overload your kidneys.

Whenever possible, you should limit your exposure to chemicals, such as

household cleaners, tobacco, pesticides, and other toxic products.

Many kidney or urinary tract conditions lead to kidney failure when they’re not
managed properly. Follow your doctor’s advice, always take prescribed
medicine as directed, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.