Types of Kidney diseases
Kidneys filter fluid and waste out of our blood. Bottom line, you cannot live without them. Diseases that lower the kidney's ability to clean blood can affect not only the kidneys, but also have the potential to harm other parts of our body too. These health conditions can cause temporary damage to kidney known as Acute Kidney Injury, and if damages are permanent then it is called as chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
Timely intervention can in most occasions slow the rate of degradation. But the most important issue is to be aware of them.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
When lasting damage to the kidneys causes them to lose their ability to filter waste and fluid out of the blood, it is called Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). This waste can build up in the body and harm your health. This damage and the kidney function can get worse over time, and when the kidneys stop working completely, this is called kidney failure or end-stage renal disease.
Approximately 1 in 7 people suffer from them. To know more about the disease, click the button below.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals and salts inside the kidneys. Kidney stones can run in family and in some cases diet, excess body weight, some medical conditions, and certain supplements and medications can causes of kidney stones. Kidney stones can affect any part from kidneys to bladder.
Passing kidney stones can be quite painful, but the stones usually cause no permanent damage if they're recognized in a timely fashion. Depending on situation, you may need nothing more than to take pain medication and drink lots of water to pass a kidney stone. In other instances — for example, if stones become lodged in the urinary tract, are associated with a urinary infection or cause complications — surgery may be needed.
Other Kidney Diseases
POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE (PKD)
LUPUS NEPHRITIS
GLOMERULONEPHRITIS
FABRY DISEASE
CYSTINOSIS
IgA NEPHROPATHY
aHUS
OTHER RARE DISEASES
PKD is a genetic disorder that causes cysts to form on the kidneys and other organs. These cysts can lower the kidney's proficiency to filter fluid and waste from your blood. Over time, PKD can cause kidney failure. There is no cure for PKD, but treatments can slow the growth of the cysts and prevent PKD symptoms from causing health problems.
Lupus nephritis is an autoimmune disease (a disease that causes the body's immune system to attack its own tissues) that leads to pain, swelling and damage to the whole body, including the kidneys. This can lead to chronic kidney disease or kidney failure. The exact cause of lupus nephritis is unknown and it cannot be cured, but with treatment many people with lupus can lower their symptoms and prevent serious kidney damage.
A condition where the tiny filters in the kidneys that clean the blood (glomeruli) are damaged and lose their ability to remove waste and fluid from the blood, is called Glomerulonephritis. Over time, this can cause kidney failure. Many health problems can cause glomerulonephritis and treatment depends on the cause.
Fabry disease is a rare genetic disease. It affects organs all around the body, including the heart, brain and kidneys, and can cause them to get less blood than they need. Over time, this can cause chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
Kidney damage from cystinosis can cause kidney failure. It is a rare disorder that allows a natural chemical called cystine to build up in the body and cause health problems. People with cystinosis must take medicine to lower their cystine levels and may need a kidney transplant. Cystinosis is genetic (runs in families) and is most often diagnosed in young babies.
IgA nephropathy is a disease that causes proteins made by the immune system to build up in kidneys and damage the tiny filters that clean your blood (glomeruli). This damage can take years to develop, and people with IgA nephropathy often do not know they have it. Over time, IgA nephropathy can lead to chronic kidney disease, kidney failure or death. There is no cure for IgA nephropathy, but medicines can slow the damage to the kidneys.
Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) is a very rare genetic disease that causes tiny blood clots to form in the small blood vessels of the body. These clots can block the flow of blood to the kidneys and other organs and cause damage. Many people who have aHUS never have symptoms. For people who do have symptoms, they often start after a "triggering event", such as becoming pregnant or having cancer.
There are many other rare diseases that can affect the Kidney functions. To keep your kidneys healthy, keep them under a check. To know more, you may consult your Nephrologist.