Polycystic Kidney Disease
The Polycystic Kidney Disease occurs as a result of kidney genetic disorders. It occurs in human as well as animals. When a person has Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), physicians find many cysts that are filled with fluid in the kidneys. These fluid-filled cysts cause kidney enlargement and may damage the liver and pancreas. In some cases, the harm may influence on the patients' hearts and brains as well.
It is estimated that more than 600,000 Americans are affected with polycystic kidney disease. Globally, it affects more than 12.5 million people. The severity of the spread of the disease prompted concerned parties to form an organization that specifically aim to fight with Polycystic Kidney Disease named The PKD Foundation.
When the disease is chronic, it turns to ADPKD, in which, multiple cysts damage both the kidneys. This may happen with both the PKD-1 or PKD 2 gene mutations, which are genetic disorders. Multiple cysts start their expansions from utero or somewhere from nephron. When they enlarge with fluids, they pressurize nearby parenchyma restricting renal functions.
More than 90 percent of Polycystic Kidney Disease is considered as genetic, from which, more than 90 percent occurs as a result of autosomal dominant trait. The remaining 10 percent occurs as a result of spontaneous mutations. The PKD-1 gene causes 85 percent cases while PKD-2 gene (chromosome 4) causes 15 percent polycystic kidney disease.
People who have Polycystic kidney disease have various symptoms including abdominal discomfort, urinary tract infection, hematuria, abdominal mass, hypertension, increase of serum creatinine, renal pain and renal insufficiency. Half of the patients may get ADPKD, the terminal renal disease (ESRD) when they are about 60 years old. Hypertension, a common discomfort among polycystic kidney disease patients, triggers the renal dysfunction.
Pain in the stomach, gastro esophageal reflux and satiety are common symptoms as enlarged kidneys pressurize neighboring organs. Enlarged cysts may rupture causing severe pain to the patients and the uric acid and calcium oxalate that amalgamate in kidneys due to ruptures can result in kidney stones as well.
Frequent occurrences of ADPKD situation may cause urinary tract infection, which is a major problem. This situation produces fever, pain and chills to the ailing patients. When diagnosing, patients' blood culture can be positive and urine culture may give negative results.
Treatment for Polycystic kidney disease is greatly supportive to reduce symptoms. The gradual declining of kidney function cannot be reversed with any particular therapies. Hypertension should be controlled lower than 130/85 to control harm to the kidneys. Drainage method is used to empty enlarged cysts and it may include surgical drainage as well. If the kidneys are extremely large, then kidney transplantation may be needed.
Showing posts with label polycystic kidney disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polycystic kidney disease. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Kidney Disease Symptoms
Kidney Disease Symptoms
Some people may not think that they have kidney diseases until they have undergone medical checkups. They don't have the slightest reasons to think that they have it, as the relevant symptoms are not as severe to restrict their day-today activities. Within this backdrop, it is highly important to understand symptoms of the disease to get appropriate treatment before the disease converts to a life-threatening condition such as kidney failure.
The nephrons of the kidneys may get damaged due to various reasons and most of these reasons are still unknown. From the known causes, high blood pressure and diabetics are prominent. The persons who have these diseases should control their blood pressure and sugar level to avoid kidney diseases.
Neglect of symptoms may lead to kidney failure. It is spontaneous but gradual worsening of the situation may cause it. Gaining knowledge of kidney diseases alerts people to undergo medical checkups and it supports to overcome fatal consequences of kidney diseases.
Though some people with kidney diseases may not get symptoms, many may get various symptoms including blood in urine, frequent urination, difficulty in urinating, and urine foam. These changes of the urine are initial symptoms to the diagnosis of a probable kidney disease. The main function of the kidneys is to remove excess water from blood. When this is not happening, body tissues swell. Excess water in the blood causes swelling, which may occur in the arms, legs, face, hands and ankles. Sometimes other areas may also swell.
The kidneys produce the hormone erythorpoietin while filtering the blood. The erythorpoietin is the hormone that alerts the body to have enough red blood cells that transport oxygen. When kidney malfunction occurs, this hormone is not produced resulting in few red blood cells. Insufficient red blood cells, restricts oxygen circulation throughout the body and ailing patients are severely fatigued. This condition is known as anemia.
Kidney diseases also cause itchiness and skin rashes. This happens, as kidneys are unable to cleanse the body wastes. The accumulated waste in the blood causes the skin itchiness. When patients scratch regularly due to itchiness, rashes on the skin are imminent.
Malfunctions of kidneys result in accumulation of toxins in the blood. When excessive toxins are in the body, people feel a foul taste in their mouths. They lack appetite and some people become vegetarians, as they feel an aversion to meat. Lack of food eventually causes weight loss.
In addition, people with kidney disease may suffer nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, difficulty in concentration and leg pains as well. All these should be taken seriously and take the necessary medical checkups to avoid complications. Kidney diseases can develop to fatal conditions. When that happens, it is too late for any treatment.
Some people may not think that they have kidney diseases until they have undergone medical checkups. They don't have the slightest reasons to think that they have it, as the relevant symptoms are not as severe to restrict their day-today activities. Within this backdrop, it is highly important to understand symptoms of the disease to get appropriate treatment before the disease converts to a life-threatening condition such as kidney failure.
The nephrons of the kidneys may get damaged due to various reasons and most of these reasons are still unknown. From the known causes, high blood pressure and diabetics are prominent. The persons who have these diseases should control their blood pressure and sugar level to avoid kidney diseases.
Neglect of symptoms may lead to kidney failure. It is spontaneous but gradual worsening of the situation may cause it. Gaining knowledge of kidney diseases alerts people to undergo medical checkups and it supports to overcome fatal consequences of kidney diseases.
Though some people with kidney diseases may not get symptoms, many may get various symptoms including blood in urine, frequent urination, difficulty in urinating, and urine foam. These changes of the urine are initial symptoms to the diagnosis of a probable kidney disease. The main function of the kidneys is to remove excess water from blood. When this is not happening, body tissues swell. Excess water in the blood causes swelling, which may occur in the arms, legs, face, hands and ankles. Sometimes other areas may also swell.
The kidneys produce the hormone erythorpoietin while filtering the blood. The erythorpoietin is the hormone that alerts the body to have enough red blood cells that transport oxygen. When kidney malfunction occurs, this hormone is not produced resulting in few red blood cells. Insufficient red blood cells, restricts oxygen circulation throughout the body and ailing patients are severely fatigued. This condition is known as anemia.
Kidney diseases also cause itchiness and skin rashes. This happens, as kidneys are unable to cleanse the body wastes. The accumulated waste in the blood causes the skin itchiness. When patients scratch regularly due to itchiness, rashes on the skin are imminent.
Malfunctions of kidneys result in accumulation of toxins in the blood. When excessive toxins are in the body, people feel a foul taste in their mouths. They lack appetite and some people become vegetarians, as they feel an aversion to meat. Lack of food eventually causes weight loss.
In addition, people with kidney disease may suffer nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, difficulty in concentration and leg pains as well. All these should be taken seriously and take the necessary medical checkups to avoid complications. Kidney diseases can develop to fatal conditions. When that happens, it is too late for any treatment.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Cystic Kidney Disease
Cystic Kidney Disease
Cystic Kidney disease is a malformation of the kidney and is also known as multicystic kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease. It causes fluid filled sacs to form in the kidneys. Normal healthy kidneys do not have any sacs in them but this disease can result in large or small sacs. These sacs are usually present from the moment a fetus is produced, but occasionally the disease affects people later on in life as well.
PKD, or Polycystic Kidney Disease, is when both the left and right kidneys have cysts, and has a tendency to run in families. A polycystic kidney keeps the shape of a normal kidney while having several cysts in it. It can still filter waste products from the blood, but it will not perform perfectly.
MKD, or multicystic kidney disease is when there are several, large cysts in the kidney, and the affected kidney changes shape and looks similar to a cluster of grapes. The kidney is unable to function. MKD usually affects one of the two kidneys and does not run in families. The opposite pair of the kidney is likely to have some structural abnormalities and therefore needs to be examined as well.
Some children have one single cyst that develops in their kidney. Provided it does not grow to a large size, it does not hamper with any kidney function.
A common symptom of cystic kidney disease is a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, caused by the enlarged kidneys. The kidneys are unable to make the urine concentrated, so there is a large output of urine as well. At birth, a baby with cystic kidney disease will have large lumps in the flank masses.
It is not yet known what causes cystic kidney disease, but it is known that it is a genetic condition that runs in families.
It is medically diagnosed through an ultrasound, which can show cysts in the kidneys and also show abnormally large kidneys. An IVP is a special X-ray that shows cysts in the kidney, and they can also be detected with a CAT scan of the kidneys and abdomen.
The kidneys in PKD cannot be treated but only their complications are treated. In MKD, if the non-functioning kidney does not cause any damage, then it is left alone, but there are surgeons who argue against not taking any action. More focus is spent on making sure that the patient's other kidney is working well.
If there is just a solitary cyst, which is very small, it is unlikely to require treatment.
Cystic Kidney disease is a malformation of the kidney and is also known as multicystic kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease. It causes fluid filled sacs to form in the kidneys. Normal healthy kidneys do not have any sacs in them but this disease can result in large or small sacs. These sacs are usually present from the moment a fetus is produced, but occasionally the disease affects people later on in life as well.
PKD, or Polycystic Kidney Disease, is when both the left and right kidneys have cysts, and has a tendency to run in families. A polycystic kidney keeps the shape of a normal kidney while having several cysts in it. It can still filter waste products from the blood, but it will not perform perfectly.
MKD, or multicystic kidney disease is when there are several, large cysts in the kidney, and the affected kidney changes shape and looks similar to a cluster of grapes. The kidney is unable to function. MKD usually affects one of the two kidneys and does not run in families. The opposite pair of the kidney is likely to have some structural abnormalities and therefore needs to be examined as well.
Some children have one single cyst that develops in their kidney. Provided it does not grow to a large size, it does not hamper with any kidney function.
A common symptom of cystic kidney disease is a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, caused by the enlarged kidneys. The kidneys are unable to make the urine concentrated, so there is a large output of urine as well. At birth, a baby with cystic kidney disease will have large lumps in the flank masses.
It is not yet known what causes cystic kidney disease, but it is known that it is a genetic condition that runs in families.
It is medically diagnosed through an ultrasound, which can show cysts in the kidneys and also show abnormally large kidneys. An IVP is a special X-ray that shows cysts in the kidney, and they can also be detected with a CAT scan of the kidneys and abdomen.
The kidneys in PKD cannot be treated but only their complications are treated. In MKD, if the non-functioning kidney does not cause any damage, then it is left alone, but there are surgeons who argue against not taking any action. More focus is spent on making sure that the patient's other kidney is working well.
If there is just a solitary cyst, which is very small, it is unlikely to require treatment.
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