Your kidneys provide an imperative and important function in your body. They are basically the filters in your body that filter your blood of toxins and release them through your urine. When your kidneys stop working, this is what is known as renal failure. This means that your kidneys are no longer able to filter your blood and the toxins and waste begin to build up in your system. As this starts happening to your body, you may encounter different symptoms along the way that will point to your kidneys not working properly anymore. Renal is the medical definition of the kidney and it’s systems and sometimes this renal failure happens quickly but it can also progressively get worse over time. You will first experience signs of kidney disease, that then can progress towards renal failure, and you should consult a trusted medical professional for guidance.
The First Signs
You may have some mild symptoms that you experience when your kidneys stop filtering out this waste and you enter into kidney disease, and potentially, kidney failure. Some of the first signs that this is happening can include symptoms such as:
- Feeling extremely tired or fatigued
- Experiencing nausea or vomiting
- Inability to concentrate
- General weakness
- Confusion
There are times when kidney failure is not accompanied by any symptoms. In this case, kidney disease can often be found when an individual goes in for lab testing or is already hospitalized. Renal failure can then be detected through various lab tests. Snake River Vascular Surgery can assist with dialysis evaluations to help determine what stage of kidney disease you might be in and can address all your questions and concerns if you suspect you might have kidney disease.
More Severe Symptoms
There are five stages of kidney disease – with the fifth stage being complete kidney failure. The progression of stages can lead to you experiencing more severe symptoms associated with renal failure. Some of those symptoms might include:
- Retaining fluid that causes swelling in your legs, ankles, or face
- Muscle spasms or cramps
- Chest pain
- Seizures
These symptoms are varied among those going through the stages of kidney disease and failure but even if you are not experiencing any symptoms, damage still might be occurring to your kidneys.
Causes of Renal Failure
Renal failure can be the cause of an underlying condition of different autoimmune kidney diseases. Going through a traumatic event like severe dehydration can also be something that pushes your kidneys into renal failure. But many times, the most common cause of kidney failure is high blood pressure or diabetes. Over 30 million people in the United States have diabetes and over 120 million have high blood pressure – making kidney failure a possibility for many Americans.
Consult a Vascular Surgeon
Renal failure can either develop quickly or be a chronic condition but it is detrimental without treatment. The trained medical professionals at Snake River Vascular Surgery are ready and able to treat renal failure with hemodialysis (kidney dialysis), many different treatments, or can assist you towards the process of a kidney transplant if that is the direction you need to be headed. Their access to dialysis treatments will help to ensure that you are getting the best care and treatment possible while going through renal failure. Contact us to set up an appointment with our team today.