What are kidney failure symptoms?

Acute Renal Failure

Kidney failure can occur all at once, when the kidneys suddenly stop filtering the blood. This condition is called acute renal failure, or ARF. According to the American Urological Association, the symptoms of acute renal failure include:

• Fluid retention
• Internal bleeding
• Confusion
• Seizures
• Coma

Chronic Kidney Disease

Kidney failure also can occur gradually, with the symptoms emerging slowly over time. This condition is called chronic kidney disease, or CKD, and is also known as chronic renal failure, or CRF. According to the American Urological Association, the symptoms of chronic renal failure include:

• Decreased urine output
• Excess fluid causing swelling in the lower extremities
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains
• High blood pressure
• Unexplained weight loss
• Anemia
• Nausea and vomiting
• Metallic taste
• Loss of appetite
• Numbness or tingling
• Confusion or headache
• Seizures or coma
• Easy bruising
• Fatigue or sleep disorder
• Muscle twitches and cramps
• Bleeding in the intestinal tract
• Yellowish-brown skin color
• Unusual itching

Causes of Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is a complex problem that can occur in a number of ways:

• Blood flow to the kidneys can be disrupted, which is called a pre-renal condition. People who experience severe blood loss, dehydration or heart failure are susceptible to this type of kidney failure.
• A kidney itself can be damaged and its function impaired, which is called an intrarenal or renal condition. This can be caused by certain bacterial infections of the intestine, by kidney inflammation caused by illness or prescription drugs, or by the abuse of alcohol, cocaine and other substances. High blood pressure and diabetes also can damage the kidneys.
• The flow of urine out of the kidney can be blocked, leading to a post-renal condition. Kidney stones or bladder obstructions induced by an enlarged prostate are the likely causes.

Treating Kidney Failure

Acute kidney failure is almost always the consequence of another underlying medical problem. In some cases, temporary hemodialysis is necessary; blood is routed from the body into a machine that performs the work the kidneys are unable to do before returning it to the body.

The damage of chronic kidney disease is usually permanent. Fortunately, the kidneys are powerful organs that have a great deal of excess capacity. Patients with CRF may not experience any symptoms unless kidney function declines to 20 percent. If this happens, toxins and excess water will accumulate in the blood. These cases may require a kidney transplant or regularly scheduled dialysis -- either hemodialysis, the process of pumping the blood through an artificial kidney, or peritoneal dialysis, a process that uses a catheter to fill the abdominal cavity with a fluid that leeches harmful substances from the blood before draining out through the catheter.