Acute Kidney Injury: What Is It?
Your body’s kidneys filter your blood to remove waste and water, regulate your blood pressure, clean the blood, and encourage the production of blood in your bone marrow. As a result, the kidneys are crucial to your daily existence. Your kidneys are damaged and unable to function normally if you have an acute renal injury. Acute kidney injury can result in problems ranging from a modest loss of renal function to kidney failure entirely. Even though the term implies that it is a kidney injury brought on by a physical impact, it typically results from other severe conditions. Acute renal failure frequently affects older adults who have other problems.
Your doctor can treat you if you receive an early diagnosis to prevent issues in the future. If a diagnosis is delayed, failing kidneys will cause an abnormally high quantity of salts and compounds in the blood. Your kidneys will be impacted, but so will the operation of your other organs. Complete renal failure necessitates the use of a dialysis machine to offer external support. Acute kidney injury might cause mortality if it is not treated.
Symptoms.
In the early stages of the disease, symptoms might not be readily apparent, but as the condition deteriorates, symptoms such –
- Less urine is produced when it is produced
- Dehydration
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Continent pain
- Elevated blood pressure
- Sporadic back pain
- Confusion
- Oedema: An accumulation of bodily fluids
Causes
Usually, a reduction in blood supply to your kidneys causes acute renal damage. This drop in blood volume could have one of the following causes:
- Heart failure – The heart produces less blood on its own
- A liver problem
- Low blood volume – Due to bleeding, diarrhea, or dehydration, there is not enough blood in the body.
- Blood vessel issues inside the kidneys, blood vessels are clogged and inflamed.
- Renal stones
- The kidneys’ enlarged prostate gland
- Carcinoma in the pelvis
- Chronic glomerulonephritis Infections, drug allergies, and radiation damage can all cause kidney difficulties.
Risks
If you are – you may be at risk for acute renal damage.
- Older than 65 years old
- Have a different kidney disease
- Have chronic illnesses, such as heart failure
- Diabetic
- Prone to urinary tract obstructions
- Administered medicine, such as ACE inhibitors, blood pressure medications, ibuprofen, or diuretics
Prevention
Make living a healthy lifestyle a priority to reduce your risk of acute renal injury. When taking over-the-counter medications, such as painkillers, use particular caution, and never use them in excess. Make sure to take preventative steps, such as dietary changes and regular, moderate exercise, if you suffer from conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
